Unrelenting Anguish
by Furiouswind
Summary: HMS Prince of Wales, King George V class battleship. A life filled with blood, filled with despair, filled with darkness. She would never be able to rid herself of the nightmares. Never be able to leave the ghosts of her failures behind. And so she will drown herself in the darkness, and embrace the abyss of death and despair.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've been trying to get this story done for some time, about a week before the event in 2016 where Warspite was introduced. I had always dreamed about having the Royal Fleet introduced into the game, and went to look for various drawings online on pixiv. My favourite artist for original Kancolle works has to be kannnu, his works for the WW1 era dreadnought ships Orion and her sister ships, made me fascinated with what was possible... well, not so much as Orion and her sister ships were WW1 era ships. Kannnu also mentioned about how it would not be likely to have such ships in the game. Still, his work inspired me and I drew some ships myself. More specifically, King George V class battleships.

I have some strong attachment to the HMS Prince of Wales, the second ship of the line, mainly because she sank in the attempt to defend my country during WW2. Both her and HMS Repulse. And upon reading more on the HMS Prince of Wales, I came to fall in love with the tragic story of both her, and the famous HMS Hood. As I read the story (with my mind going full blown romanticizing the words), I came to envision both the story and how the characters would look like.

I have drawn my own version of those ships on my pixiv account, under the Japanese name あすもす... I have no idea why I came up with that name. But on my account, I submitted drawings for all King George V class ships as well as the Hood and HMS Ark Royal. I have also attempted to draw the first part of this story into a comic, under the name Ich Diene Dem Wind. It is in Japanese though, despite the title, and this novel version would be longer and more detailed.

A few reasons why I didn't continue drawing the comic version:

1) I suck at drawing. Look at my drawings and you will understand

2) Despite owning a drawing pad, I don't have the proper software, nor the time and skills to draw on computer... everything was drawn on paper and scanned in

3) I... really can't draw... I prefer writing

4) Those who can read Japanese will know that I REALLY messed up my grammar

5) I can't colour for shit... everything is black and white. I can't even draw shadows correctly.

I may continue drawing it if I can get the time and patience to sit down and do it.

Personally, I think Prince of Wales may not enter the game at all. She was bombed and sunk by the Japanese, after all. She isn't likely to enter the game any time soon, so I guess I can continue to draw her for as long as I like... If I bother to draw her again.

This story is written in a sort of weird way, taking inspiration from many doujin comics of Kancolle, so by the last chapter it would be somewhat clearer, I hope. I have already written out the entire story for this so I will be uploading all in one go. It was originally planned to be a one shot, more in line with the planned comic, but things got out of hand and now it will have 5 chapters. Oh well...

* * *

 _Kancolle_

 _Unrelenting Anguish_

 _Chapter 1_

The darkness that surrounds me.

It darkens my vision.

It clouds my thoughts.

It deafens my hearing.

It is fear.

It is anger.

It is despair.

Yet.

It calls to me.

Beckons me close.

Seducing me with its liberating sleep.

And so I let it consume me.

Devour me.

Become me.

It is me.

It was me.

All this time.

* * *

The train travelled through the country side, past rolling hills and open farms. And yet such a scene was of no concern the young woman or her travelling companion, who had taken the liberty of sleeping, her head being propped up by her hand which used the window sill as a support. The young woman herself was focused on the book opened before her, having a slight smile upon reading the pleasant story. The bumps of the train ride was also of no concern or distraction for her as she focused solely on her book. She instinctively brushed the right bangs of her blonde hair to the back of her ear to stop it from covering her view, a habit that made her braid the left side of her long hair to keep it behind there. This braid was something she had insisted for her younger sisters to follow, a form of 'sistership', as she puts it. Her sleeping companion who sat opposite her seat, had a braid too on her right of head, albeit there reluctantly. Her sisters had chosen to wear their braids smaller in size, however, though that did not really bother her after sulking for a few days. Her sister, having most of her silver hair grown slightly past her shoulders, had a bunch of hair grown out as a tail. Long enough to rest on the seat as well, and though she may berate her sister for maintaining it, such advice would often fall upon deaf ears. A knock on the door made her look up from her book. With the blinds down, it was not possible to see who it was knocking on the door, and so she simply called out.

"Come in."

The door opened slightly and a young woman sheepishly looked in with a smile. Her long dark brown hair having a smaller tail tied on the back, and her cheeky blue eyes sparkling with mischief and intrigue.

"Howe, what is it?"

She asked the youngest of her sisters. Howe nodded and spoke in a slightly formal tone.

"Anson-nee sama has asked me to inform King-nee sama and Prince-nee sama that we shall be arriving soon."

Howe answered, and she nodded back.

"I see. Thank you, Howe. Please make sure that Duke is ready to depart. Anson may be prepared by now, but do check on her, just in case."

"As you wish, nee-sama."

With that, Howe bowed slightly and left, closing the door as she went. With Howe gone, she closed her book and called out to her sister who was still asleep.

"Prince. Prince, wake up. We are arriving soon."

She called out to her sleeping companion. At first, there was no response, but then she slowly opened her eyes.

"Mmm..."

The sleepy reply signalled the girl's awakening as she rubbed her eyes and looked up to her.

"Good morning prince. Had a nice nap?"

She asked her companion, who blinked a few times. Stretching her arms behind her head, the sleepy companion shook her head slightly.

"Oh my, was it a bad dream?"

She asked, but her companion shook her head once more.

"...No. Just the usual dream."

She muttered, looking down at her slightly open right hand. The image of blood and a ribbon from her dream still vivid in her mind. She shook that image from her mind as she closed her eyes and hand.

"The same... dark... dream."

* * *

The train pulled into the busy station, easing up to the platform before jerking to a stop. It did not take long for their cabin door to open once more as a new face appeared. One that irked her companion greatly.

"Well now, dear prince, I hear that you suffered a terrible dream. Might I offer my most sincerest of condolences to your mental well-being."

The newcomer sarcastically said with a bow. With her light brown hair tied upwards to the left side of her head, the newcomer often had that mischievious glint in her blue eyes and was a constant troublemaker, particularly when she was bored. Dressed in the same black uniform style, the newcomer also wore a dark cloak, held together with a badge with a 'V' insignia over the left part of her chest. A red sash was also present, as well as epaulettes on either sides of her shoulders. White lanyards adorned her right arm, leading up to the badge on the left. Tucked under her left arm was the cap they all wore.

"I do not need your witty remarks, Duke."

Her companion growled irritably as she got up and grabbed her own cloak and cap.

"Duke, there is no need to wear the full uniform as of yet."

She pointed out the lanyards and the sash, but the newcomer merely smiled.

"I had figured that since we have come so far, I might wear it all and break into them before meeting our new admiral. If it displeases you, King-nee, I shall remove them."

"No, it is fine. I suppose you are right. We may be placed into battle soon, and it would be best to get used to the uniforms."

She replied, reaching out for her own cloak.

"Where are Howe and Anson? Are they not with you?"

She asked Duke, who bent backwards slightly to look down the train corridor.

"Anson said she wanted to ensure our equipment are being sent to the correct address. I would take a guess to say Howe went with her."

"Anson doesn't have to worry that much about our equipment. That girl is always too precautious for her own good."

She muttered as she thought about the remaining sister of hers.

"King-nee isn't serious enough."

Duke muttered wryly. Though it wasn't loud enough for King to hear, Prince certainly did.

"Watch your tongue, Duke. I will not tolerate any insolence or slander against our sister."

Prince growled, to which Duke merely raised her hands in mock surrender.

"All right, all right. Keep your teeth in your mouth. I'll try my best not to do it again."

"It should not even be a possible thought in your head, Duke."

"Well now, you cannot expect me to change my entire personality on a whim, do you?"

"If you could do such a thing, I would not be talking about it."

She sighed, shaking her head as her two younger sisters continued to argue. Clapping her hands together, she caught their attention and stopped their bickering.

"All right now, let us stop arguing and join Anson and Howe. It will not do us any good to be late for our first day."

The three left the cabin and alighted from the train, where they were joined by the two remaining sisters. Anson, having shoulder length reddish brown hair and a no-nonsense look on her face, had carried an additional luggage along with her.

"Anson, what is that you are carrying?"

King asked, to which Anson glanced to the luggage before replying.

"It is merely some documents that was to be handed to the commander of our fleet by high command."

Anson replied simply.

"That is odd, I was not informed of this."

King noted, to which the other sisters all had an expression on their faces that simply read 'of course you weren't'. King, despite not being all that reliable, was still able to get the gist of the reason.

"... I see... Well... I am certainly less... capable than Anson... As the eldest... I should be proud of you, Anson... yes... as... the eldest..."

The other four sisters were looking at each other frantically for a remedy to the situation where their elder sister was now getting more and more depressed with each passing second. Howe, decidingly, attempted to placate King's worries.

"W-well, King nee-sama must be very busy! High command must think that since King nee-sama represents us all, ladening her with additional burdens will do us all no good!"

Howe quickly said, earning thumbs ups from her other sisters.

"R-really?"

King asked, her voice slightly hiccupping.

"Y-yes! Of course! Why, King-nee is the one to represent us all before our new fleet commander! High command must have thought you to be nervous and decided to give it to Anson to take care! I'm sure that Anson will let you hand the documents over."

Duke added, but Anson obviously did not agree with that part of the statement.

"High command did not-"

Anson was cut short when Prince elbowed her in the gut.

"High command DID say it. Right?"

Prince's tone to Anson clearly hinted something else, and Anson begrudgingly nodded to Prince's rhetorical question. King apparently did not get the subtle tones and wiped away her tears with a fresh smile on her face.

"I see. Well, I will let Anson hold onto them for now. Anson, I understand that you are both capable and reliable in this, but you must not get too complacent. If such documents are that important, then all the more so."

The four other sisters clearly had the expression 'You're one to talk' written all over their faces.

"W-well, let's not waste time standing around here. We should find the liaison officer so that we can get to the base quickly."

Anson stated, and the others were all in agreement.

* * *

The liaison officer was not hard to find and the five sisters were quickly ushered to an awaiting car that drove them out of the station and off towards the naval headquarters. The trip from the station was rather uneventful, save for the occasional reprimanding towards Duke by Prince. It took them about an hour to reach their destination. A large stone castle-like structure, with an outer wall perimetre, various towers and grand statue of a lion graced the entrance. The naval headquarters, situated right by the sea. The car went through the security checks quickly and stopped right before the main entrance inside the compound. The five sisters alighted from the car and headed inside, walking straight through the hallways to the Admiralty office.

"Are all of your uniforms straightened right?"

"Yes, King-nee-sama."

"That would be the fifth time you've asked that question, we're not children."

"Duke, watch your tone."

"Hey hey, King-nee-sama, what do you think our admiral is going to be like?"

"There is no way for us to know, Howe."

"Oh Anson, you don't have to spoil the mood."

"I will do my best to correct such a behaviour then, King-nee-sama."

While the girls continued to talk, it soon became apparent that they had reached their destination. A large pair of wooden doors stood before them, with the large words 'Admiralty' printed on a plaque above the door frame. King stepped forward to the door, hesitated for a moment, looking at her sisters, who all stood behind her, nodding, before she knocked.

'"Enter"'

Came a voice from behind the door.

"Excuse us."

King said as she opened the door. The five sisters stepped inside and stood before the large desk where a middle aged man in dark blue uniform sat behind.

"Heh, so this is the Admiralty."

Howe looked around in awe and curiosity.

"We're before the Admiral, Howe."

Anson reprimanded the youngest.

"Well, the Admiral looks interesting, though I do not care much for whoever gives me the orders, as long as I get to kill some enemies."

Duke of York smirked.

"I have told you time and time again, Duke, to fix that attitude of yours. It brings dishonour to our elder sister's name."

Prince of Wales once again scolding Duke.

"Ufufu."

And while her sisters were all doing their own things, King George V could only smile at their antics, before turning back to the man sitting behind the desk and saluted to him.

"King George V class, lead ship, King George V, together with her four sister ships, reporting for duty, Admiral."


	2. Chapter 2

_Kancolle_

 _Unrelenting Anguish_

 _Chapter 2_

 _A few days later_

"Do you not think it's sort of odd?"

Duke asked as the five sisters were walking down the corridor of the naval base.

"What is?"

Howe asked earnestly.

"It's probably something not worth mentioning."

Prince muttered, though Duke ignored her and continued on.

"We've been here for days and yet all we've done is to wait on standby. I mean, we aren't even allowed on practice runs."

"King-nee-sama and Prince-nee-sama have both been able to go on practice runs."

Anson pointed out, to which Duke sighed.

"And that is exactly it! While King-nee and Prince have been able to get their equipment ready, the rest of ours are still being sorted out? What do you mean 'sorted out'? What is there to sort?"

"Your equipments were not calibrated properly before leaving the factory as we were in a hurry, or did you forget that?"

Prince pointed out.

"Anson, did you not check our equipments?"

Duke turned to the fourth sister, who closed her eyes in dismay.

"I was informed of the possible delays to the calibration of our equipment, but I had not expected the delay to be this long."

"Do not push to blame onto Anson, Duke. And besides, with the admiral calling us, we may be gifted with some good news."

King added, although the doubtful expression on Duke's face said it all. The five sisters made their way towards the Admiralty and it wasn't long before they stood once more before the imposing door. King knocked on the door, and after hearing 'enter' from inside, she opened and step through the door. The admiral sat at his desk, the same as how they saw him the first time. However now there was another person standing behind the admiral. Dressed in a dark naval uniform with a coat over her shoulders, this person had tied her messy hair into a tail.

"King George V class, lead ship, King George V, reporting together with her four sisters as ordered, Admiral."

King said while her hand snapped to a salute. Her four sisters did the same in a line behind her. The admiral, leaning back in his chair, saluted back, and allowed them to stand at ease.

"I have some good news and some bad news."

The admiral said, toying with a pipe in his hand.

"The good news is, Duke of York, Anson, Howe. Your equipments are ready to be tested. The three of you will commence practice tests by tomorrow 0800 hours. Is that clear?"

The admiral asked, and the three sisters snapped to salute.

"Yes Admiral."

They said in unison. Duke and Howe were obviously happy, as evident in their tone. Anson was as stoic as always.

"Good, the three of you are dismissed. You may go down to the factory to get any final adjustments made."

With that, Duke, Anson and Howe left the Admiralty. When the door closed behind them, the conversation continued.

"And the bad news, Admiral?"

King asked, and the Admiral sighed, putting the pipe into his mouth.

"The bad news... is that we are now on a full scale war. As much as I would like to put all five of you through your paces, time will not allow me to do so. Duke, Anson and Howe will have to undergo a shortened sea trial, unlike you and Prince."

The admiral said, and King George V was obviously worried by these implications. While Prince did undergo her sea trials, the entire trial was not properly set the same as how King did hers. In otherwords, despite Prince having officially been tested, King was worried about how the tests were not done properly.

"You mean to say my sisters will not be fully ready for war, and yet you will still send them?"

"You are warships. The most advance battleships under his majesty's flag. While I do understand your worries, King, you and your sisters are still needed to defend the crown and his empire in these dire times."

The admiral reminded King, who could only bite her lip and hold her objections back.

"... For now, both you and Prince will be placed on active duty."

The admiral said, leaning forward and flipping through the documents sprawled out over his desk.

"The Atlantic convoys have been falling prey to the enemy submarines. This diverts our frontline from blockading their warships to deal with the submarine threat. This means that the two of you will be used to replace that gap in our blockade."

Prince seemed a little excited by this news, as evident by her fingers fidgiting. Something that King did not fail to notice. Prince was constantly anxious to into action, despite her words saying otherwise. They were warships, made for war. If they were not going to fight, then why were they made?

"Whatever the enemy, King-nee-sama and I will be able to repel them."

Prince said confidently. The admiral nodded to that statement.

"That is what I am counting on. First, King George V, you are assigned to aid the 6th Destroyer floatilla in Operation Claymore. The commander in charge of the Operation will brief you further. Report to his office tomorrow at 0900 hours."

"Wait, Admiral, am I not to go with King-nee-sama?"

Prince interjected, to which the Admiral looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Certainly not. Two of the most advance warships in the same fleet? We are fighting a war, Prince of Wales, not playing a game where everyone gets to choose where they go. You will be sent where you are needed."

Prince wanted to object, but seeing King's disapproval of her outburst, Prince kept silent. The admiral, seeing how Prince was now calm, turned his attention back to the documents on his desk.

"Prince of Wales, you will be assigned to guard our blockade. News of the enemy's newest battleship attempting to break into our waters has forced our hand to be stretched this thin. They must be stopped at all cost."

The admiral said, and though Prince was dejected at hearing how she will not be joining her older sister, there was some comfort in knowing that she may be able to face off with the newest enemy warship.

"For that reason, you will assigned under Hood."

"Hood?"

Prince dared to ask. At this time, the person who had standing quietly behind the admiral the entire time stepped forward. Prince now saw the person more clearly. With piercing bluish green eyes, the young woman had a sharp, and strong presence, which would beg the question why didn't King and Prince take notice of her better before now?

"This is the battlecruiser HMS Hood, the pride of our royal navy. She may be old compared to you two, but she is still a strong and steadfast ship."

The admiral said, and Hood sighed.

"Admiral, flattering me will get you nowhere."

The battlecruiser turned to the two newer ships and smiled.

"I am HMS Hood, despite what the admiral may say, I am still just simply a warship like yourself. I do hope we are able to get along well, Prince of Wales."

* * *

'Well' was not a word that could be used to describe Prince's mood at the moment. Her temper was quite obvious to all others as they steered well clear of the young battleship while she stormed through the corridor of the base.

"You might want to tone down on the murderous presence you are exuding, Prince. You are scaring the poor little destroyers."

A mocking voice stopped Prince in her tracks. She turned and saw Duke leaning by the wall, smiling mischeviously as usual.

"I am in no mood for your games, Duke."

Duke raised her hands up in a display of mock surrendering.

"Well, I have no games to play, Prince. However one does find it odd to see you in such a foul mood when you are assigned to be with the one they call 'the mighty Hood'. Surely it must be an honour."

"I care not for honours or fancy titles. Even more so towards those who hold them."

Prince growled, her eyes narrowing at her younger sister.

"And the hero of our navy has done you no wrong besides being decorated with a fancy title."

"That title was not earned in the fires of battle."

Prince muttered.

"Surely that cannot be the only reason for your foul mood. Being picky with who you are assigned with is not becoming of a battleship that carries King-nee's name... or so I recall 'someone' chanting that to me."

Duke sarcastically said, but Prince did not bother with coming up with a reply.

"I see no reason as to why I am not assigned together with King-nee-sama."

"I do not know what King-nee is off to do, however I am right to assume that your task is no less important. Or does your inner sister-complex drive your every decision as a ship?"

"I DO NOT HAVE A SISTER COMPLEX."

Prince snapped at Duke, who could only smirk.

"And so you say. Your anger is directed towards Hood only because she represents the order that prevents you from sailing with King-nee. Is that not what you would call... 'childish'?"

"You do not have to tell me that. I understand fully on how my own anger can be this naive."

Prince muttered, making Duke raise an eyebrow as her smile dropped. To Duke, to have Prince admit of her own childish faults was surprising, but at the same time frighteningly boring since Duke could not make fun of her any longer.

"So you are not as thick in the head as I thought... Ah, well I see that your new 'roommate' has arrived. As such, I will excuse myself."

Duke nodded in the direction behind Prince, before walking off in that direction. Prince turned to see Duke walk past the person of Prince's worry. Hood walked over to Prince with a slight smile.

"I am glad to see that you and your sisters are able to get along well."

Hood said with an elated tone.

"I do not know what you have heard, but Duke and I are not often on the best of terms."

Prince replied, averting eye contact with the battlecruiser.

"Oh, is that so? I do apologise if I have offended you."

Hood replied with a slight bow. Prince found it odd and irritating to find the battlecruiser to be this soft-hearted and meek. Sure, she has heard much about the legend that is 'the Mighty Hood'. Hood was given the title not due to her accomplishments, but rather because she was the most imposing and most advance ship before the start of this war. But war changes everything, and soon Hood was no longer as strong as the legends would hold. Still, Hood holds onto that title. Should she not at the very least act as such? The 'invincible' Hood. She acts no more than a timid rabbit who seeks a friend.

"... You have no need to worry, for there was no offense made."

Prince said with a sigh. Hood smiled, walking up to Prince. Their heights were not so different up close, yet from afar Hood always seemed to exude such commanding presence that most naturally thought of her as taller than most. Without warning, Hood raised her hand and patted Prince on the head. This earned both a surprised and stunned look from Prince, who was having trouble understanding what was happening to her. Hood merely stood there, smiling whilst she was rubbing Prince on the head in a similar fashion to how an adult would do to a child.

"You are certainly a kind and gentle girl."

Hood said softly, her eyes showing a slight hint of loneliness, but Prince did not see that as she batted Hood's hand away.

"I am not a child, nor do I need to be coddled like one. I am a battleship, and I ask that I be treated as such."

Prince replied curtly, but Hood did not seem to be unhappy by Prince's actions nor words. The battlecruiser only smiled.

"And you certainly are a battleship, worthy of your name."

Hood turned around and took a few steps away from Prince before pausing.

"Well then, I have heard much of your abilities, and since we are to be paired for some time, shall we use this time to practice?"

"Practice? For what need do we have to practice? We should be off patrolling the blockade."

Prince argued, but Hood shook her head.

"There is much that we do not know about one another. And as such, I believe that through practice, we shall deepen our bonds and make for a better team. Don't you agree?"

Prince wanted to argue, but as she was not the flagship, she could not disagree outright to these sorts of decisions. Prince, knowing that she could not say otherwise, sighed in defeat.

"... Fine. Do as you wish."

* * *

Prince of Wales did not expect Hood's idea of 'bonding' to include a multitude of things besides staying in the same room and going out for practice manoeuvres. What Hood had also decided to include were tea times, going out together to do shopping during their off times, and to have Prince's hair tail to be braided.

"I've always wanted to try this."

Hood admitted while she braided the long hair tail of Prince's. Prince was not too happy about having her hair being braided, as she already had one, and saw no need for a second, however the battlecruiser was rather forceful in a non-threathening manner and thus Prince was forced to have her hair braided.

"Then why do you not braide your own hair?"

Prince asked.

"Hmm, well, my hair is not the suitable type to be braided. And besides, it isn't about the braid itself, as it is so much about the action of it."

Hood's voice trailed off at the second portion of her sentence. Prince did not understand what Hood meant by that, but before she was about to question it, a knock came from the door.

'"Pardon me, Hood-san, Prince-nee-sama."'

A familiar voice came from door.

"Anson? Come in."

Prince answered, feeling a slight tug on her hair by Hood when she answered the door. The door swung open and Anson and Howe stepped into the room.

"I apologise if you are busy at the moment."

Anson quickly said, upon seeing Prince's predictament.

"No, it is fine to speak."

Hood answered quickly, her tone slightly strained, which Prince did catch on. After all, spending hours with the battlecruiser had led Prince to be able to pick up certain tones of her roommate. Anson nodded to Hood's reply, apparently showing no hint of her catching onto Hood's change in tone.

"Prince-nee-sama, we have come to report of our success in completing our sea trials."

Anson said with her tone being dead serious as usual, though her eyes did show that sparkle of excitement. Howe, on the other hand, was practically beaming with joy.

"We did it, nee-sama!"

Howe cried excitedly. Prince nodded with a slight smile.

"I see, that is certainly good news. What of Duke? Is she not with you?"

"Duke-nee-sama had decided to go and celebrate with some of the cruisers, citing that her celebratory mood should not be dampened by meager reports."

Anson replied with a slight hint of disapproval, but as Duke is older, Anson could not really say much about it. Prince sighed, shaking her head in dismay.

"That girl... She bears the name of royalty and yet chooses to behave as such. Well, I would love to congratualate the two of you on a job well done, however as you can see, I am currently unable to move at the moment."

Prince gestured to Hood, who was still holding onto her hair tail with an unabashed smile.

"You should report to King-nee-sama. I am certain she will be delighted to hear of your successes. She should have returned from her current task by now."

Prince said to Anson and Howe.

"We have already done so, Prince-nee-sama. We were on the way here when we came across King-nee-sama. She was with Rodney, and it would seem that they will soon be tasked together with guarding convoys."

"I see. Well then, if that is the case, the two of you should celebrate. However I would caution against celebrating wildly. Your missions will start tomorrow."

Prince warned and Anson and Howe nodded eagerly.

"Hood-san, are you available later? There are some things I would like to inquire about the shops you told me before."

Howe turned to Hood, who smiled and nodded.

"Certainly. I will be happy to oblige. And Anson, if you require some advice on the equipment services, you may approach me anytime."

"Thank you!"

With that, the two battleships left the room, and the remaining two fell back to silence.

"... You are certainly popular with the other ships."

Prince commented, making Hood tilt her head slightly.

"Are you referring to your sisters?"

"Not only them, but with the other ships in the base. Everywhere we walk, the other ships will happily approach you without any restraint."

Prince noted, to which Hood closed her eyes with a smile.

"The ships in the base are all gentle girls. Each with their own aspirations and their own personalities... A beautiful thing to behold... especially by one who holds none of her own."

Hood's words made Prince silent as the latter did not know what it meant, nor did she know how to respond at all. At times Hood's words would cryptic and vague, and Prince would not know what to say in return. Was there anything to be said? And so silence fell between the two once more as Hood continued to braid her hair.

"... It is nice, isn't it?"

Hood suddenly spoke up, making Prince raise an eyebrow.

"And what, may I ask, is 'nice'?"

"Sisters who would come to eagerly find you and tell you of their successes."

Prince paused in that thought. Hood was the only ship of her class. She had no sisters, although she did hear that Hood was meant to have three sisters.

"... Does it bother you, to be alone?"

Prince dared to ask, making Hood pause for a moment.

"... Not as much as you would think."

Hood finally said after a brief moment of tense silence. Prince was unsure of what to make of Hood's answer.

"And besides, I have you, do I not?"

Hood added, her tone changing back to its cheery old self.

"I am not part of your ship class."

Prince pointed out, but Hood shook her head with a slight smile.

"No, you are not. But is it wrong for me to see as such?"

Prince wondered about that. Was it wrong? Hood was often rather pushy when it came down to things. Was it her way of expressing herself? Or was it something she did to make up for the emptiness that surrounds her. Despite spending hours together, Prince still felt as though there was something about Hood that she wasn't seeing clearly, or understanding. There was something that Hood was holding back on, and to Prince this felt like a wall. Prince knew that she herself was also responsible for putting up that wall between them. Prince had often grumbled and complained about what Hood would get the both of them to do, but did Prince really hate it? She did not know or understand it herself.

"Hood-"

Before Prince could say any more, the sirens within the base went off, making the two ships pause in their actions and wait in anticipation for the broadcast message. And no sooner did they wait, did the broadcast play throughout the base.

'"Attention all ships of the Home fleet. Enemy battle group sighted. I repeat, enemy battle group sighted. All ships in the Home fleet are to set sail immediately to intercept."'

Prince attempted to get up from her seat in order to prepare, but stopped when she felt her hair still being held on by Hood.

"Hood?"

Prince turned to look, and noticed that Hood had a slightly hesitant expression on her. But just before Prince was about to ask, Hood's expression changed as she let go of Prince's hair.

"It would seem that we have work to do. Let us continue with your hair when we return."

Prince sensed Hood's reluctance, but said nothing of it. She only hoped it was not something Hood would regret not saying.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Just a quick note... I know that the events I have written down are not historically accurate. For one, Hood was leading the column when both her and Prince of Wales began engaging the Bismarck. Prince of Wales did not return to Port for repairs, but rather attempted repairs on her own to continued the hunt for Bismarck. I am not sure which carrier was responsible for launching the planes that led to the Bismarck's engines being damaged, but I think it was Ark Royal. Repulse, nicknamed 'Repair' for the number of times she entered the docks for repairs, was not being repaired at this time. Still, best to change it a little for 'dramatic flair'.

* * *

 _Kancolle_

 _Unrelenting Anguish_

 _Chapter 3_

Prince of Wales sailed on the water at a speed that could match Hood's. It was obvious to Prince that Hood, being a battlecruiser, was built for speed. Prince's speed was not much worse off, but for Hood to maintain such a speed, it would seem to be a breeze for her. The imposing guns of Hood was certainly a sight to behold, and her elegance as she cut through the water like a knife made her image all the more impressive. Small wonder she is called the 'pride' of the Royal Navy. Prince, on the other hand, looked down at her own guns with some sense of disappointment. Her guns were smaller in size slightly, despite having two more barrels each. Hood's 15 inch guns were powerful and could tear holes in heavy armour, while Prince's 14 inch guns were a newly developed weapon system and were untested in the battles of naval warfare. In fact, Prince was worried that one of her turrets was not functioning as planned.

"Prince."

Hood's voice made Prince look up as the lead ship of the pair started to slow her speed on the waters.

"Do you mind taking the lead in the column?"

The battlecruiser asked, her voice calm, yet still showing a hint of hesitation. There was something off about Hood's behaviour but Prince decided to say nothing of it. It wouldn't be the first time Hood acted oddly.

"If that is what you wish."

Prince answered after a moment, and Hood softly smiled.

"Thank you."

Prince increased her speed as she overtook the battlecruiser. As Prince went by the battlecruiser, she attempted to see if there was anything wrong with the older ship. Perhaps equipment damage? Or maybe she wasn't feeling too well. However nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"... I am your consort, Hood."

Prince said, leading the way. Hood looked to Prince as the battleship sailed in front.

"Pardon?"

"I am your consort, and thus I am your shield. What you lack in armour, I will take the pain for you. That is my duty."

Hood blinked a few times in surprise at Prince's words, before giggling, making Prince turn red in embarrassment.

"Thank you, Prince, for not only looking after my safety, but of my well-being as well."

"I-I am merely stating my duties, that's all."

Prince replied, her forceful tone betraying her attempt at disguising her embarrassment of the whole situation.

"Your 'duty'... that is all it is..."

Hood's voice trailed off. Prince, however, did not manage to hear that.

"I wonder if the reports are true of the enemy attempting to break through. We have been sailing around and have yet to see anything. Did those cruisers really see the enemy? Or just a bunch of fishing vessels?"

Prince wondered aloud as the two of them continued to patrol their designated area.

"I trust in their words. Norfolk and Suffolk are not the type to lie."

Hood answered, tapping onto her ear piece to listen in onto the naval fleet's radio. The two heavy cruisers, Norfolk and Suffolk, were the ones who had spotted the enemy battleship and had continued to report their location as they tailed them. However Hood and Prince had yet to find the enemy despite heading towards the marked location. The two ships continued their course, before Prince spotted something in the distance.

"... Hood, we have ships on approach."

Prince warned, preparing her guns. Hood peered into the distance, and sure enough, the outline of two ships were visible over the horizon.

"... Contact confirmed. We have our targets in sight."

Hood answered, her tone reluctant, however she still rotated her guns despite her own reluctance. She tapped her ear piece.

"This is Hood, we have visual of the enemy. Ship local time: 0553 hours. Beginning attack."

Hood turned to Prince and nodded. Prince nodded back and turned her guns to the enemy.

"Orders received. Coordinating attacks. Commencing fire."

Prince answered.

"Fire."

Hood opened her guns, and shortly after Prince followed suit. The sound of their combined gun fire thundered as their shells sailed through the air towards the enemy. Hood aimed for the lead ship, thinking it to be the enemy battleship they sought, while Prince fired at the second ship. The enemy ships, however, seemed to be aware of their movements, having sailed to avoid their attacks. Prince's attack did strike her target, but little damage was visible.

"They were well aware of our positions before we were aware of theirs."

Hood muttered her realisation.

"The enemy battleship is the second in formation. Their lead ship is a heavy cruiser."

Prince told Hood, and the lead ship nodded, correcting her target.

"Then we shall fire upon the enemy battleship. Ignore the cruiser for now."

"Understood."

Prince nodded, looking back at her targets, who have now begun to fire at them. The enemy shells straddled their position, making Prince and Hood flinch for a moment, before they fired once more. However one of Prince's guns malfunctioned.

"Not now! Work!"

Prince cried, banging on the turret.

"Prince! Focus on the enemy!"

Hood cried out.

"But my guns!"

Hood looked to the enemy, who continued to fire at them. Hood knew that her horizontal armour was weak to plunging fire, and with Prince pre-occupied with her malfunctioning gun, their attack would not be effective. Norfolk and Suffolk were close by, but their speeds were insufficient to catch the fast enemy battleship.

"... Prince, I will take the lead. Steady your course, and focus your attacks while ensuring your gun is working."

Hood concluded, pulling ahead of the Prince, turned her heading and closed the distance between the two opposing forces.

"Hood? Hood! It's too dangerous!"

Prince shouted, but Hood knew the risks. She knew her side armour was stronger, and therefore she was determined to make the enemy revert away from plunging fire by closing the distance. Hood also knew that the enemy was not focused on Prince, and solely on her. They sought to sink the 'Pride' of the Royal Navy. Just as how Prince and Hood were to sink the enemy's new battleship, so too were the enemy seeking to sink her. If that is the case, she will take the fight to them.

"Hood!"

Hood ignored Prince's cries as she sailed closer. While at this angle, not all of her guns can fire, but she would endure the enemy fire.

"What is she thinking? Come on, gun, work!"

Prince turned to follow Hood as she continued to hit her gun in some vague hope that it works after a few hard knocks. Prince turned her heading, attempting to follow Hood, however in her hurry, she failed to notice that the enemy had fired their guns once more. By the time Prince heard the sounds of the shells, it was too late.

"AAHH!"

The shells bombarded Prince, damaging her equipment. Hood, hearing Prince's scream, stopped and turned.

"Prince?"

But that was a fatal flaw.

 **BANG**

Prince heard a loud explosion, followed by an ominous sound of someone hitting the water. Prince dared to look, and what she saw horrified her.

"No... No... it... it cannot be... Hood... HOOD!"

Blood, fire, smoke. Everything was wrong. Everything was not supposed to happen. Hood lay in the water. A shot directly hitting her in the chest. Blood from multiple wounds caused by the explosion. Prince could not register what had happened, nor could her mind understand what was happening. Her mind refused to accept it. Lies. It cannot be true. Prince braved the continued barrage of shells from the enemy, ignoring the shells that hit her as she rushed towards the battlecruiser. Upon reaching Hood, Prince tried to pull her fallen comrade away, but the damage she received was making it too difficult for her to even move quickly enough.

"Hood! Hood!"

Prince tried to get a response from Hood as she turned her remaining guns to the enemy to fire back.

"... Pr...ince..."

Hood's voice made Prince turn to her fallen flagship. The battlecruiser, blood covering her face and body, attempted to reach out to Prince.

"Hood!"

"You... must... run..."

Hood gasped through pained breaths.

"I will not leave you!"

Prince defiantly shouted, firing more shells whilst trying to pull Hood back. The battlecruiser shook her head.

"You... cannot... win... Run... and... live..."

Hood reached behind her head, undoing the ribbon that held her hair up in a tail. With her blood soaked hand staining the ribbon a dark red, Hood pushed the ribbon to Prince. Prince grabbed onto Hood's hand, desperation gripping her as Hood's condition was clearly worsening.

"... I... am... sorry... I cannot... make... your... hair..."

Hood strained a smile... then her hand went limp. Prince stopped firing as she looked in horror. Hood lay in her arms, her eyes showing no sign of life.

"Hood? Hood? Please... no... tell me this isn't true... Hood... HOOD!"

Prince tried to shake Hood, to try to wake her from a slumber that she would never awake from. But Prince knew it was all for naught. Her attempts were merely a rejection of this reality.

 _'"This is Norfolk. We are in sight of the enemy. Battleship Prince of Wales. Recommend you break contact with the enemy with haste."'_

Prince's radio feed came through. Prince, on the other hand, still refused to leave.

"How dare you... HOW DARE YOU!"

Prince screamed, turning all of her guns to the enemy ships and firing them. While her shots did hit, there were no signs of the enemy ships being in any immediate danger of sinking. Prince was fighting a losing battle, one that all knew she would not survive if she were to continue.

 _'"This is Norfolk. Prince of Wales, I repeat, recommend you break contact immediately."'_

Prince looked down at Hood. She wanted to know what she should do. Should she stay to fight and avenge Hood? Or run and live with the shame of failing her duty? But Hood would not answer her anymore.

 _'You must run.'_

Hood's words echoed in her mind. Prince was reluctant to do so, but gripping onto Hood's ribbon tightly, Prince let Hood's body go as she quickly turned around to retreat. Daring to look back, Prince could see Hood's body slowly sink beneath the water. A haunting sight for Prince, whose heart sank with the battlecruiser. By some stroke of luck, the enemy ships did not give chase, and Prince of Wales managed to retreat back far enough to disengage with the enemy fleet. But once she was out of the fight, Prince fell to her knees. Her tears falling uncontrollably, mixing with blood from her wounds, Prince could only look at the blood stained ribbon in her hand.

"... This... cannot be true... Tell me... tell me this is a lie..."

* * *

The Naval base was in an uproar. All ships were shocked by the news. Hood, sunk. Just those two words had sent the entire base into despair. The Mighty Hood, the pride of the fleet, was gone. The destroyers cried like children. The cruisers wept profusely. The carriers were all too shocked. The battleships were in an outrage. Hood, a ship who was beloved in the base, was no more. First, there was sorrow. But then, sorrow was quickly replaced by a burning anger. A cry for revenge. All ships were roaring to head out to fight the enemy.

"Let us fight!"

"Down with the enemy!"

"For Hood!"

Prince could hear the cries for justice and revenge echoing throughout the hallways. But though her ears could hear it, her mind could not register them, making it only sound like dull and muffled noises. She was still in a state of stupor, her mind being dulled and her emotions drained. She did not care about the repair crews' plea for her to return to the docks. She felt empty. Lifeless. She let Hood die. She, who was meant to protect Hood, failed to do so. And thus what meaning does her existance hold?

"You have certainly brought yourself down to a new level of low."

A mocking voice spoke behind her. Prince looked towards the speaker merely out of pure reflex, and she saw Duke standing there, leaning against the wall with her usual smirk missing. Duke was clearly affected by the news of Hood, but her words were still attempting to portray herself as a mischevious person who did not care.

"..."

Prince stared blankly at Duke, who seemed slightly irritated by Prince's lack of a rebuttal.

"... The Admiral has called for all ships to seek out the enemy battleship and sink her. This is retribution for Hood, and the entire navy will be there. Unfortunately, the Admiral has yet to sign off Anson, Howe and I, thus we are unable to partake in this... event."

Duke explained, but still Prince had a vacant expression.

"Do you not plan to do anything?"

"..."

By now, Duke's patience was wearing thin with the way her sister was behaving.

"The opportune moment is now, Prince, to sieze back the loss we suffered. Do you not want to see the ones who sunk Hood pay for what they have done?"

A slight twitch from Prince.

"Revenge... But..."

"Do not make Hood's death in vain, and take the fight back to them. Or did Hood only mean this much to you?"

Duke's provocation made Prince grit her teeth.

"Silence..."

Prince growled, anger starting to grow in her eyes. But Duke would not stop.

"She certainly was an old ship. Age had probably caught up with her."

"I said silence."

"I would suppose that Hood was probably a bother for you. Perhaps, weighing you down?"

"DUKE!"

Prince suddenly threw her fist at Duke, but her swing missed Duke's face by a centimetre. Duke, caught slightly off-guard by the sudden attack, quickly regained her composure as she looked dead on into Prince's eyes of renewed life.

"... The fleet leaves to hunt the enemy ship within the hour. Orders have been passed that you would not partake in this endeavour. If you sorely wish to take revenge, I would suggest you seek out the Admiral."

Without another word, Prince turned and left Duke. Duke, now with Prince gone, sighed, shaking her head.

"Duke-nee."

Howe approached Duke from behind, her face showing concern. Duke, on the other hand, merely put on her usual carefree smirk.

"Ah, Howe, were you evesdropping on our conversation before?"

Duke asked, to which Howe nodded.

"Nee-san... did you have to say such things to Prince-nee? Such hurtful things that you do not mean in truth... do you have to play such a role?"

Howe asked worringly. Duke reached out and rubbed Howe's head, messing up the younger ship's hair slightly.

"I play no role, Howe. I simply say what I want to say."

* * *

Prince, despite still being injured, stormed through the hallway and upon reaching the Admiralty, barged into without knocking. The admiral, seated behind his desk, was with King George V, standing by his side with a disapproving look on her face on how Prince was behaving, but Prince would not care.

"Admiral!"

Prince shouted, banging her only good hand on his desk.

"Prince! You're before the admiral-"

King attempted to reprimand her younger sister, but the admiral raised his hand to stop her.

"It is fine, King. Prince, state what you want."

The admiral said, turning back to Prince.

"Admiral. Grant me permission to be sent out once more."

Prince stated sternly, making the admiral raise his eyebrow.

"And for what reason do you have to request such a thing?"

"I want to take revenge for Hood! I will sink those ships, even if that is the last thing I do!"

Prince shouted angrily, her thirst of vengeance clear to all. The admiral leaned back in his chair.

"And how do you propose you go about doing that? You suffered heavy injuries, the last thing I need is a ship that is half sunk to enter combat."

"I request for an expedited repair!"

Prince said quickly, and the admiral sighed.

"... King, as this is your sister, I would defer the judgement to you. Do you believe she is able to take part in this?"

King George V closed her eyes for a long moment, before opening her eyes and looking directly at Prince.

"There are not many ships that can match the enemy ship's speed. Additionally, Prince's experience with the enemy fleet will also prove useful."

"So you believe she is able to re-join the fleet?"

"Yes, admiral."

King said. While Prince was thankful to her sister for siding with her, she said nothing as her anger was still raging within her.

"All right, Prince of Wales, you will enter the docks and have your request for an expedited repair approved. You will join the fleet after repairs are made for the continued hunt of the enemy ship. Dismissed."

Prince, satisfied with this order, left the Admiralty, allowing the Admiral to turn to King.

"... Are you certain on this decision?"

The Admiral asked, to which King closed her eyes once more.

"To be truthful, I am uncertain if this decision will help Prince or not. However..."

"However?"

King bit her lip as she opened her sorrowful eyes.

"... I fear she will not be able to move on unless we grant her to chance to redeem her own pride. The wound within her heart is too deep to simply allow her to sit here and wait."

"Was Hood that dear to her? From what I was able to see, Prince did not seem to care much for Hood."

King shook her head to the Admiral's statement.

"Prince... cared for Hood more than anyone... as much as how Hood cared for Prince."

* * *

 _ **A day prior**_

"A way to get closer with Prince? Whatever for? Did my sister do something?"

King asked Hood when the latter came to her with a question. Hood sighed a little as she crossed her arms.

"On the contrary, I feel as though I may have been a little aggressive in my assertions to bond with her."

Hood admitted. King blinked at Hood, as though unsure of what she heard was correct, before she giggled.

"Oh my, that girl is certainly rather resistant to such strong affections being pushed onto her."

"As I feared."

Hood sighed once more. King rubbed her chin and pondered on this.

"But why, may I ask, do you seek to create such a bond with her? From what I am able to see, your current relationship with her is rather well, despite how she may act."

Hood paused upon hearing that question, closing her eyes briefly before a soft smile formed on her lips.

"I guess... I had not forgotten my desire to have a sister to care for."

King was a little surprised by this answer, leading her to automatically ask back.

"A 'sister'?"

"As you may be aware by now, I am the lead ship of my class, the only one of my class. But I was meant to have three sisters, and the four of us would represent the glory of the crown. However, the war that pushed for our creation had ended. I was the only one who was near completion, and thus only I was chosen to be built. My three sisters were scrapped and I was born alone."

Hood muttered with some sorrow in her voice.

"... But having an end to such a fearsome war is a positive outcome. We are ships made to fight, but our existence is merely a tool to reach the end of fighting. Hypocritical, but certainly true. To be honest, I am rather frightened of war, of facing the enemy."

Hood laughed as she said that. King felt as though Hood was still alone, still searching for a reason.

"... You are the 'mighty Hood'. Certainly your existence is enough to put pause in the hearts of our enemies. For what reason do you have to fear?"

King asked, and Hood smiled at that, albeit a rather sad smile.

"The 'mighty Hood'... A name that I have been called on many occasions. I am merely a battlecruiser who was made too late for a war that was all but over."

"Do you not believe in that title yourself?"

"And such titles were given freely with no merit other than having existed. I was a symbol for the Royal Navy. A symbol of power, of what they could achieve with their capabilites. But the times changes rapidly, and waits for no one. I am weak, King, far weaker than anyone may think. The admiralty knows this, but for the sake of appearances, I am still the 'mighty Hood'. That I be a statuette for all to see and admire, but under that facade lies a rusting hull. What 'might' is there in such falsehoods? The most I had ever achieved was to be the flagship of cruisers in Force H, and sink a former ally's ship that was trapped in harbour. I fired upon a friend who was resting and unarmed. Allow me to ask if such action brings any honour? If such a task is worthy to grant me this title of 'might'."

King could not say anything as Hood's tone became increasingly forceful, frustrated, and tearful. Hood was well aware of her own flaws, and how she did not deserve to remain.

"And... have you told Prince of this? She is your squadmate, as well as your consort. She may be a stubborn and a little sharp tongued, but she is still a kind child."

Hood shook her head in reply.

"It is for that reason... that she is a kind child, that I do not wish to make her worry. She perceives me as unworthy of my title, and because of that thought she constantly seeks to prove me wrong by giving her all. Inversely, by telling her my worries, I fear she may become reckless."

"While I do not believe Prince to such a shallow child, I will not tell you how you should act as that is something I believe you should know best. But do you truly wish to be hated by that child so? She is not one to take kindly to secrets or deception."

Hood smiled bitterly.

"Hatred... I do not wish of such... however if that is what it takes to ensure she stays strong in the face of adversity, then I shall endure her hate and more."

King was about to object, but footsteps coming down the hallway made the two turn, and walking towards them was Prince of Wales, having a rather sour look on her face.

"Hood! You had asked of me to partake in training, and yet you were absent!"

Prince fumed, making Hood smiled softly.

"Ah, yes, that is right, isn't it? I apologise, I was not minding the time. Well then, King, I had enjoyed my talk with you, and I do hope I did not make your day too damp with my ramblings."

Hood bowed slightly to King before leaving to join Prince. While Prince was berating Hood on her tardiness, Hood merely stood there, smiling and nodding to whatever Prince was saying, before rubbing Prince on her head, much to the latter's annoyance. King stood there, watching to the two interact back and forth in such an odd manner, before she smiled.

"Hood, you may not believe me, but Prince will never hate you. She is a child who would state what she hated, and would fight strongly against it. Her actions speak louder than her words, Hood. She never hated you. She never did, and never will."

* * *

 _ **Present**_

King's fist clenched tightly, to the point where her nails dug deep into her palm to draw blood.

"King? All ships within the fleet have reported in as instructed. What do you plan to do?"

A voice asked, making her turn. Standing there was a young woman with short light brown hair and her bangs growing over her left green eye while her right blue eye seemed slightly worried.

"... The enemy has dared to strike down Hood, and left my sister a wound deep in her heart. The order has been given and the call to arms has been raised. All ships still out at sea will begin the search immediately. We will charge forth with the rest of the Royal fleet. We will hunt down the enemy battleship and we will ensure she sinks. Are you with me, Rodney?"

The young woman's expression turned dark as she nodded.

"Certainly. Hood's death will be avenged. This, I swear."

* * *

The fleet was ordered out to sea. The entire Royal fleet brought to bear upon the enemy ship who dared to strike down the fleet's most beloved ship. As battle groups were organised and subsequently sent out, Prince was left in the docks. While the Admiral did grant her an expedited repair order, the actual repair process was still long and tedious.

"Despite the order for an expedited repair, we can only do so much within the time given."

The repair technician said as Prince inspected her equipment.

"Are the guns operable?"

She asked, to which the technician sighed.

"The gun ain't the easiest to work with. We've only managed to get three of them working. The last turret is a goner without a long term haul."

"It will suffice."

"'Suffice'? Your repairs are not done! You're still a bloody mess!"

"As long as I am able to sail and fight, it is all that is required."

Prince said, taking her equipment and heading out without hearing the objections of the technicians.

"... That ship will not live a happy life."

The technician muttered, before turning to the other dock.

"Hey, Repulse! Are you done with your repairs?"

"Give me another hour!"

"... Another ship born under an unlucky star."

* * *

King George V sailed silently across the waters, the other battleship, the Rodney, following closely behind her. While King did say that she believed allowing Prince to participate in the hunt for the enemy would be good for her, King also believed that if Prince was able to meet the enemy battleship again, it would prove disastrous even if said encounter would result in Prince triumphing over the enemy. For King, eliminating the enemy before Prince could do so would yield the best results. Prince may not be pleased, but King did not care. King turned to see the ships that followed her in her battle group. Besides Rodney, several cruisers and destroyers were with them, and trailing behind is the carrier, HMS Ark Royal. The Ark Royal was a strange carrier, with her golden hair flowing in the wind, and her bangs held back by a headband that revealed her rather large and shiny forehead.

"King, we are approaching the last known coordinates of the enemy ship."

Rodney reported. King nodded and turned to Ark Royal.

"Ark, we require a wide dispersion of eyes in the sky."

The carrier understood the order and drew arrows from her quiver, notching it into her longbow.

"As you wish, flagship."

Ark Royal said, drawing the arrows and firing them into the sky. The arrows transformed into swordfish planes, soaring off into the distance to search for the enemy.

"Do you believe we are able to stop the enemy battleship?"

Rodney asked, to which King muttered in reply.

"Belief will only bring us so far. We will not leave this up to chance. We will find the enemy. And we will sink her."

Rodney was slightly wary of the younger battleship's fury. King, despite being younger, had often acted with the mannerism and presence of someone far more experienced. While it was her equipment and power that led her to become to flagship of this battlegroup, Rodney knew that there was something else within the young battleship that placed her in a position where few could reach.

"Flagship, enemy ship spotted."

Ark Royal suddenly said, and King nodded in acknowledgement.

"Ark, tell your planes to begin their attack run. All ships are to move into attack formation. The moment our guns are in range, we will open fire."

'"Understood."'

Came the unified response.

"Rodney, we shall take the lead."

King said, making Rodney rather surprised, but she nodded anyway.

"As you say, flagship."

"Flagship, our planes have damaged the enemy ship's engines."

Ark reported and the battlegroup started to grow in spirits.

"Then it is slow enough for us to catch up. All ships, be on high alert. The enemy may be wounded, but it is still a formidable foe. Like a wounded beast, its dying bite shall be its fiercest."

King warned and the other ships all nodded. They understood that the enemy they fought managed to sink Hood. It was not an enemy that they could take lightly.

"Flagship, we have visual enemy battleship."

One of the destroyers spoke up, and King turned to see in the direction the destroyer was pointing. In the far distance, the bellowing black smoke of a damaged ship could be seen clearly against the blue of the sky and ocean. It was as though it was signalling to them its position.

"Even the skies above and the waters under us are telling us of your position. By sinking Hood, you have made an enemy of not only us, but of mother nature herself."

King muttered under her breath.

"Your orders, Flagship?"

King nodded and raised her hand in the air. Upon seeing this, all ships in the battlegroup turned their guns to the enemy.

"All guns loaded."

"Synchronising to Flagship's fire control."

"At your word, Flagship."

King took a breath in.

"... For Hood. FIRE."

* * *

Prince struggled to keep herself straight as she sailed towards the last known location of the enemy vessel. Her equipment, though mostly repaired, was done in so in such a hasty manner that the turrets were jerking as they turned. The barrels also seemed a little loose on some turrets. Prince herself, was not in the best of shapes either. With bandages all over her body and head, it was a wonder how she managed to stay afloat in the first place. She travelled with only a small number of other ships, ships that had just restocked or recently left the docks. Despite her being the only battleship, she looked to be the worst condition of them all. Gripping onto her bandaged arm as she sailed, Prince felt the concerned looks by the others in her battlegroup upon her, but she paid them no mind. All that occupied her mind was revenge. She vowed to kill the enemy who sunk Hood. Hood, who had done much for Prince, and yet Prince had done little in return. Prince felt nothing but regret. An immense, and unshakeable regret.

 _'Did you know?'_

Duke asked Prince before the latter left the base.

 _'Know about what?'_

 _'You have heard that Hood was meant to have three other sisters.'_

 _'Yes. And?'_

 _'Do you know the names of those three ships?'_

 _'I am not familiar with that information. But why would it matter?'_

 _'... Prince, Hood's sisters were Anson, Howe, and Rodney.'_

Prince hated herself after hearing that, and her mind only kept increasing its own self-loathing as the battlegroup continued on their way. Prince looked at her clenched hand, the bloody ribbon was all that remained of Hood. A reminder to Prince of what she failed to do, not only as a consort to the battlecruiser, but also how she failed to see how much Hood suffered because of her status and her solitude. Before they set out on their fateful journey, Hood had shown painfully mixed emotions when Howe and Anson approached them. Prince knew not why, only guessing at how Hood was perhaps lonely without a sister. But Anson and Howe not only represented the sisters that Hood did not have, but they embodied the ghosts of Hood's past. Hood could see them as her own sisters, and yet they were not. They were Prince's sisters. And Hood doted on Prince, much like a sister. Prince hated how she acted infront of Hood. Her own pride had forced her to behave in such a rude manner. If she could take it all back; her words, her actions, her rejection towards Hood's advances. She would do anything to take it all back. Her fist holding onto the bloody ribbon tightened.

"... I will avenge you, Hood... I swear."

The radio suddenly crackled to life as a mass broadcast was announced to all ships. Prince pressed the communication device in her ear to listen in. And what she heard made her mind go blank.

 _'"This is battleship King George V to all ships of the Royal Fleet. Enemy battleship has been sunk. All ships are to stand down from alert status. I repeat, this is battleship King George V to all ships of the Royal Fleet. Enemy battleship has been sunk. All ships are to stand down from alert status and return to base... Hood has been avenged."'_

* * *

King lifted her hand from the radio, looking over to the black smoke bellowing from the sinking ship. A strong ship that certainly deserved praise.

"... If it weren't for this damned war... I am certain we would have been friends."

King muttered under her breath.

"King? Did you say something?"

Rodney asked, to which King shook her head.

"It was nothing. The enemy has been sunk, Hood has been avenged. Let's head home."

King said, turning around. Ark Royal stopped King before she set sail, the carrier listening in on her radio.

"Flagship, Rodney, I believe the Admiral would wish to grant the both of you his congratulations for causing the most damage to the enemy."

"Ark, your planes were the ones to deliver the finishing blow."

King pointed out, to which the carrier nodded.

"Yes, they did deliver it, however such an attack would not be possible without your assistance. For that, I... no, we, of the Royal Fleet, thank you."

Ark bowed to King, as did the other ships in the battlegroup. King, however, was not too pleased with this, as her expressions only showed sadness and pain.

"... We certainly are mere weapons of war... as you had told me before, Hood... Glorified in name... for deeds of attacking a wounded friend. Though not a friend of mine, but a friend of our time."

* * *

The naval base was in a mixed mood upon the return of the ships. The ships were elated and in high spirits that their enemy had finally been sent into the depths of the ocean. But this hunt for the enemy, and its subsequent victory, was caused mainly due to their burning desire to avenge their fallen comrade. For many ships, they did not have the time to mourn as their rage took over quickly. And so the base was a mixed bag of happiness and somber sorrow. For one particular ship, however, her anger has yet to subside. With her footsteps thundering through the hallway, Prince of Wales marched straight towards the Admiralty. Her differing attitude garnered the attention of those she stormed past, including a certain battleship.

"Well now, I most certainly did not expect you to return with the same temper as when you left with."

Duke of York said, with her snide tone hinting a slight note of caution.

"I am in no mood to partake in your pointless arguements."

Prince growled in return. Duke, sensing that Prince was a little too dangerous, decided to step infront of the angry battleship, barring her path forward.

"... Move aside."

Prince warned, her tone hinting of her building rage. But Duke did not move, rather, she folded her arms together and stood defiantly still.

"..."

Prince attempted to walk around Duke, but the younger ship simply stepped to one side, barring Prince's path again. Prince tried once more, but the same result only ensued. The already-angered battleship had just reached the peak of her limit, shouting at her sister.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Prince snapped, swinging a fist at Duke, who managed to dodge the attack.

"Are you trying to hit me? Or just your horrible attempt at a new dance?"

Duke smirked, causing Prince to angrily throw more swings at Duke. Duke, however, was able to dodge all of the attacks. This was possible not due to Duke's agility, but rather on Prince's injuries hindering her from moving fast enough to land any hit. Duke's provocation had caused Prince to vent her anger at the younger battleship, and it was tiring her quickly.

"You... stop... moving..."

Prince panted, trying to swing once more, but her aim was completely off. Duke used this and grabbed Prince's arm, pulling the battleship forward whilst kicking her leg, causing Prince to lose her balance and fall forward onto the ground. Prince groaned, trying to get up from the floor.

"Tch... Duke... I will... get you... for... this."

Prince threatened, but her failing strength, coupled with her injuries, only amounted to an empty threat. Prince was no in position to back up her words, and Duke knew this. Prince knew as well, but her anger, with her inability to do anything, were causes for her to break down. Tears, frustration, anger, hatred. Prince was suffering a turmoil of emotions, and Duke only stood by the side to see the wretched wreck that her once proud sister had become. It was a pitiable sight by all accounts, but Duke could not laugh nor make light of this situation. And so Duke merely stood there, unable to do anything, unable to say anything. By now, the loud commotion had attracted a large crowd, and Duke only took notice of it now.

"Hmm, this might prove to be problematic later on."

Duke mused, and just as she said that, a familiar voice could be heard.

"What is the meaning of this?"

King George V said, making her way through the crowd to where Duke and Prince was. King, upon seeing Prince on the ground, rushed over to help her. Prince tried to push King away, but she was unable to do so. King, seeing Prince in such a wretched state, looked at Duke for answers.

"What did you do, Duke?"

King demanded to know, but Duke turned away from King, a gesture that King did not take lightly towards.

"Duke! Answer me!"

"I was simply having a little stretch. That is all."

Duke replied, walking away as the crowd dispersed before her to let her pass. King, confused by what had transpired, looked to Prince, who continued to cry her heart out.

* * *

"I see that your ability to agitate others is just as sharp as always."

Duke stopped just as she was about walk around the corner. She looked down and smiled.

"I would take that as a compliment."

She replied without turning to the one who spoke.

"... I will applaud your decision to tire Prince before she could meet King. To allow her to vent all of her anger at you, King would not have to face Prince's wrath."

"I did nothing of the sort."

"And yet what you have done has resulted as such. You realised that Prince, unable to exact her revenge, would shift her focus onto King. King, who allowed her the chance to kill the enemy, and yet was the one who dealt with the very enemy Prince was meant to take down."

"Is that so? I had no knowledge of such things."

"And yet you feign ignorance of the matter. Is it to take the blame? To appear as the evil one? To antagonise everyone? What do you hope to gain from such an approach? I can only assume you are attempting to draw all the negative attention away from your sisters and onto yourself. A self-sacrifice. A scapegoat. Or is it... simply a method to disguise your own fragile ego?"

Duke flinched at that statement. It was a short moment, but the expression on Duke's face went from her usual smirk, to a face of pure anger. But she quickly regained her composure, smiling her usual mischievous smile.

"I have simply done what I have always wanted to do. I live by no one's expectations but by my own."

Duke answered, waving her hand in a dismissive manner as she walked off.

"Perhaps you would do well to remember that next time... Admiral."


	4. Chapter 4

_Kancolle_

 _Unrelenting Anguish_

 _Chapter 4_

A knock on the door made her look up.

 _'"Prince? It's me."'_

King George V's voice came from door. Prince did not bother to answer, choosing instead to look back at the ribbon in her hand. The blood stain had been washed off, but to Prince, those stains would never truly disappear. This empty, hollowed room, filled with the ghosts of the past. The voices of the times she had still echo within these walls. Visions of the times that will never return floating before her eyes, re-enacting the regrets that she hold.

"Prince?"

King had opened the door and stepped inside, even without Prince answering the request to enter. But Prince did not care. She simply sat there, listless, lifeless, and emotionless. Any lingering anger Prince had was gone. Replaced by the emptiness of her mind and the broken pieces of her heart. Prince knew her anger towards King was misplaced, but where else could she point her pent-up rage towards? Towards the enemy who had already been sunk? Towards King who merely completed her duties as well as having her own desire to seek revenge? Prince could not be selfish, but what else could she do?

"Prince... The... The admiral has called for you."

King said, her voice showing her hesitation to tell Prince the order. King knew that Prince would be punished for what she did. No harm may have been done, but the fact was still clear that Prince had caused a disturbance within the base. As such the only that could be done was to reprimand Prince. King, not knowing the whole circumstance, could only be worried about what could happen. But orders were orders. King had to bring Prince to the Admiralty. King knew that this would not end well and she dreaded bringing her sister to the admiral.

"..."

Prince said nothing, but stood up nonetheless, and walked silently towards the door. King, unsure of what Prince was planning, followed her silently. As the two walked silently through the corridor, King contemplated on what Prince could be thinking, but nothing clicked in her mind. Prince as well, kept her mouth shut as she continued to walk listlessly onwards. The pair reached the Admiralty, still without a word spoken between the two. King stepped in front of Prince, her hand hovering over the door as she hesitated to knock. King bit her lip, glancing to her sister, who simply stood there silently. King knew that she could only delay the inevitable. And so she knocked.

 _'"Enter"'_

The voice behind the door said. King unconsciously held her breath as she turned the door knob and opened the door, stepping through.

"King... King George V class Battleship... Leadship... King George V... re-... reporting with Prince of Wales... as ordered."

King spoke in reluctantly. The admiral nodded in reply, before noting that King had yet to step aside, away from Prince.

"... King, if you may keep silent, I am to speak to Prince."

The admiral said, and King wanted to protest, but stopped. Casting her head down, King stepped aside, allowing Prince to stand before the admiral. The younger battleship stood before the admiral in silence, and the admiral looked back in silence as well. The admiral simply sat there at his desk, studying Prince, while the battleship simply looked back with her lifeless eyes. King stood there from the sides, watching and enduring the silence as much as she could. Then the admiral finally spoke.

"Prince of Wales. Your actions of late have raised certain... concerns."

The admiral stated, making King's anxiety increase. Prince, on the other hand, said nothing as usual.

"The battle against the enemy battleship had cost us Hood, a dear ship to us all. You were meant to protect Hood on that sortie and yet failed to do so, also sustaining severe injuries yourself."

The admiral summarised the report before him.

"After the battle, you ignored orders to stand down for repairs and demanded me to allow you to sortie to hunt down the enemy battleship. Upon your return, however, the report came of you starting a fight with your fellow battleship. Such behaviour is unbefitting of a ship bearing the name of the Royals."

The admiral said, looking at Prince, who still said nothing in her own defence. King could stand it no longer, stepping forward to speak.

"Admiral-"

"King, I am not finished."

The admiral said sternly, making King stop. The admiral was someone who was easy going and good natured most of the time, but there were times when his fury would be greater than the ocean itself. Such fear was struck into King, forcing her to step back.

"... Good. Now Prince."

The admiral turned back to the other battleship.

"The board has reviewed the events of the battle in detail. It has been decided that Hood's decision to close the distance to attack was, in fact, the correct decision."

King was caught surprised by the admiral's words.

"Given the situation at hand, Hood had little choice in the matter, seeing as how her horizontal armour was weak to plunging fire. Your own actions, of course, were judged as correct of the time and situation. Seeing as how your equipment malfunctioned right at the start of battle, rather than following Hood, you focused on providing covering support was in accordance with proper maritime tactics. Thus it has been decided that you shall suffer no blame for this incident. We have also taken into account of Hood issuing the orders during the battle. We mourn for the loss of Hood, but in return, we have sunk the enemy's prized battleship and have chased her fleets back towards the Fjords."

The admiral noted, flipping through more documents.

"As for your disregard orders to stand down, I have noted that I had personally allowed your repairs and subsequent re-joining of the fleets to fight. Thus it shall be said that you had carried out your orders perfectly."

The admiral had more or less blatantly stated that he had waived Prince's offence on the matter due to his own hand in the matter.

"Lastly, your little... 'altercation' with your fellow battleship. The board had called for Duke of York to appear and give her testimony on the incident. Duke, however, had refused to give any details, citing that it was nothing more than a 'game'. As the board was unable to find any further evidence, the decision was made to treat the incident as a 'minor misconduct'."

King felt relief wash over her. Duke, despite how she may act, still covered for Prince.

"However, as it was still perceived as 'misconduct', a punishment of sorts is still required to be handed out."

The admiral added, making King's relief slightly short-lived.

"... The board has seen your efforts and your battles, therefore deciding that you shall be redeployed."

"'Redeployed'?"

King could not help but speak out her puzzlement over what was said. The admiral glanced over to King, who immediately covered her mouth upon realising her mistake.

"... As I said, the board has decided to redeploy you to the Far East. A new enemy is rising in that region and our bases within the region are without adequate protection. Prince of Wales, you will enter Force Z together with HMS Repulse, three newly launched E-class destroyers, one J-class destroyer and the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable. Together, you shall head to our colonial base there and report to the commander in charge. Your general orders are to prevent the enemy from expanding further into our territory. You will leave with Repulse at 1900 hours. That is all, dismissed."

* * *

Prince of Wales left the Admiralty without a word spoken. Her own expressions had not changed in the slightest. She understood what was going on, what the admiral had told her. She understood, but she did not accept it. Not her fault? Hood's death was not her fault? Prince knew it was her fault. She could not protect Hood. She was Hood's consort ship. She was meant to protect Hood at all cost. And she failed it. Why was she not punished with a harsher sentence? Sent to the Far East? The Far East colony was known to be a holiday spot for many military personnel. Certainly the rise of a new enemy in the region is a cause for concern, but to be told that she would have to go away from the frontlines and protect what is essentially a tropical resort? Was this pity? Was being sent away from the frontlines a punishment upon her honour? She could not accept it. But she must.

"Prince, wait."

King's voice from behind made Prince stop. King ran out of the Admiralty to follow her sister.

"I... I know that being sent far away is painful for you... I will try to get the Admiral to rescind the order-"

"King-nee-sama."

Prince finally spoke, making King pause mid-sentence. Prince had not spoken for so long, that to hear her speak once more was a surprise. Prince looked down to her hand. All this while she still clutched onto the ribbon of Hood's.

"... Please... will you... do my hair?"

Prince asked, making King surprised once more. Prince had often made herself to be more independent of King. To be able to do things on her own and not rely on others. Prince would usually fuss about how King would want to braid her hair, and yet Prince was asking her to do it once more? King took a moment to collect her thoughts, before she agreed.

"All right. Allow me to speak with the Admiral first, to see if I can, at the very least, delay your departure, and I will meet you in your room."

Prince nodded to King's answer and continued to walk down the corridor. Without realising it, Prince reached her own room. Her mind was still a relative blank. She did not even notice Howe and Anson, who were standing by her door waiting, until Howe spoke up.

"Prince-nee..."

Howe called out to Prince, who looked up to the two.

"Prince-nee-sama... We... heard of the order."

Anson said, seeing how she wanted to say more, but she couldn't. Prince looked to the two. They were painful reminders of Hood. The lost sisters of Hood. Howe, Anson, and Rodney. For Rodney to be one of the two, besides King, to cause the greatest damage to the enemy battleship, was it irony? Howe and Anson, these two young ships will certainly prove their worth as they will soon be tasked with guarding the seas that Hood once protected. Prince said nothing, reaching out, and patting both Howe and Anson on their heads with her hand. It caused some confusion for the two, but Prince did not need to explain. It was something that Hood would often do to Prince, and thus Prince would do it to Howe and Anson.

"Prince-nee?"

Howe looked to Prince for answers, but Prince said nothing, choosing to enter her room without answering the two. Closing the door behind her, Prince went back to the chair and sat down. To have silence surround her once more, she allowed the images, the ghosts of the past, to haunt her once more. For soon, she will not see these images of Hood any longer. To see the translucent visages of the Hood walking through the room, pestering Prince at times, others simply walking around the room. Such images were burned into Prince's memories from the short time they spent together. A knock on the door disrupted Prince's thoughts.

'"Prince, it's me."'

King's voice called from behind the door, before it opened with King stepping into the room. King closed the door behind her and walked over to Prince, who sat quietly on the chair.

"I had spoken with the Admiral... He has allowed your departure to be delayed by one hour. Now... let's do your hair."

King walked behind Prince, taking up her long hair tail.

"A comb..."

King looked around for the item in particular, but noticed that Prince had lifted up her hand, and in her palm was a comb, with a blood stained ribbon.

"This is-"

King took the comb and ribbon, looking at the ribbon carefully, before realising where this ribbon came from.

"Prince, this ribbon it-"

"King-nee-sama... please..."

Prince muttered quietly. King bit her lip, wondering if it was a good idea to let Prince hold onto such a painful past. But she relented, combing Prince's hair with the comb, one that Hood had actually given to Prince. Prince would forever be haunted by Hood, and Prince did not seem to want to let go either. King was worried, but there was nothing she could do. With each brush, King felt Prince's frame shiver a little. Was she crying? King could not do anything to console her sister, and only kept combing her hair in silence. King fought hard to hold back the emotions that she was facing herself. Sending her sister off to a faraway place. King had hoped that Prince would be able to recover and recuperate in her new assignment, but the fact that Prince was sent there to hold back the rise of the new enemy's advancement was troubling. Once King had finished combing Prince's hair, she started to braid it.

It was slower than normal, King wanting to savour each second of this. Hood's demise had shown them all, all within the fleet, that no one is perfect. That every single one of them were living on the edge. Each second could their last. King did not want to imagine the worst, but it was the reality of their lives, that they were at war. War does not discriminate, does not care who dies and who lives. Each day they battled and fought with their lives on the line. To protect their homeland and its people, they are the sword and shield of the crown. Their very breath was to serve. Prince and King are no different. They will live and die by the fires of war if need be. But King did not like it. Not like this. King reached the end of Prince's hair tail, and she looked at the blood stained ribbon. At the very least, she wished to have it cleaned.

The memory of Hood was strong in the ribbon itself, there was no need for the blood to remain and just cause Prince further distress. King reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bottle of cleaning agent. Dabbing a little on the ribbon, King ran her fingers over the ribbon, rubbing most of the blood marks off. It was still visible if one were to look closer, but for now, King was satisfied with it. She took Prince's newly braided tail and tied the ribbon on its end. King stood back quietly and looked at the back of her younger sister. King did not want to say anything. She simply wanted this time to last forever.

"... It's finished."

King said at last. Prince did not turn around, simply lowering her head in her seat.

"... Thank you..."

Prince muttered. King wanted to say something else, but stopped herself. She knew there was nothing she could say anymore. Prince has resigned herself to her fate. It was now all up to Prince. King closed her eyes and turned to leave.

"I... will await for your return, Prince... no matter how long... no matter where... I will await for you to return..."

King said, before leaving the room. Prince sat in her room, alone once more, looking up and seeing the ghostly figure of Hood. A figment of her memories. Hood reached out her hand to Prince, and the battleship wanted to reach out to Hood, but stopped.

"... I... do not... deserve... forgiveness..."

* * *

Prince of Wales walked through the corridor without watching where she walked. She had walked these halls enough times to know where to go. The ships she walked pass gave way, watching the battleship, dressed in her full dress form, head towards the port. Prince did not glance at them, but she could feel their stares. Was it pity? Was it anger? She did not know, nor did she want to know. Prince continued to walk, passing by a certain battleship, who leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Duke of York said nothing as Prince walked by, and Prince did not stop to say anything either. Duke noticed the ribbon tied on the end of Prince's braided tail, and she gritted her teeth. Duke wanted to say something, but did not. It was unclear if Duke was irritated at Prince, or at herself, and it would remain uncertain to anyone other than the battleship herself.

"Duke-nee?"

Howe walked over to Duke with a concerned expression. Duke looked to Howe for a moment, before turning away.

"Are you not going to see Prince-nee off?"

Howe asked, her voice showing her distraught over the events that were unfolding. Duke paused in her step, snorting a laugh.

"I have nothing to say to that girl, besides... nothing I say can ever change the outcome."

Duke muttered, continuing to walk away.

* * *

 _Weeks later_

Prince of Wales stepped off the port, reaching the colonial base in the far East. With the bright Sun bearing down on her, it was a wonder as to how she was able to maintain her composure whilst still wearing her full gear. Repulse joined Prince from behind, having grouped up with the battleship mid-way along the journey. However the older battlecruiser, with her shoulder length chestnut brown hair, found the young battleship to be rather hard to approach or talk to. Repulse had wanted to ask more about Hood, since she had served alongside Hood before the War. However Repulse also felt that such a topic was hard to talk about with the battleship. Repulse may be unlucky and ended up with a nickname like 'repair' for the number of times she entered the docks, but she wasn't tactless. Repulse watched as the commander of the base approached the two ships.

"Good of you to arrive on this far side of the World. I apologise to ask, but which one of you is the flagship?"

The commander asked. Repulse simply glanced over to Prince, who stepped forward.

"I am."

Prince stated. The commander turned to Prince and nodded.

"I see. HMS Prince of Wales, is it? Certainly, having the Royal Fleet's newest battleship as the flagship is a promising sign."

Repulse swore she saw Prince's expression turn to that of an extreme anger in a split moment before turning back, but the commander of the base did not notice it.

"Unfortunately, we have received the report that the HMS Indomitable has run aground on her way here, and therefore will be unable to join us."

Without their aircraft carrier, Repulse felt as though their battlegroup would be severely weakened, but she kept it to herself. Prince was not someone who needed to be told such things. Surely as the flagship, she would be aware of such things. Repulse tried to read Prince's expressions, but it was hard to read as usual.

"There is also the problem of one of the E-class destroyers and the J-class destroyer being damaged on their way here. They have safely arrived, but will have to remain in the docks until their repairs are done. We do have two older destroyers still stationed here, and I will get them to replace your battlegroup as soon as possible."

The commander continued, and Prince merely nodded in return. It was then that the commander seemed to remember something.

"Ah, yes, I will have my aide show you the way to your rooms. I am sure the two of you are tired after such a long journey. Please rest up and enjoy your stay while you are here."

* * *

Repulse sat down on one of the two beds in the room designated to them. Being the two larger ships of the battlegroup, Repulse and Prince of Wales were afforded a larger living space than the destroyers. Still, Repulse believed that the living quarters were a little... fancy. Repulse certainly did expect some sort of tropical theme, but given this was still a military base, she did not expect the tropical theme to be all over the place, and to be so vibrantly coloured.

"This... will get some getting used to."

Repulse muttered, eyeing the giant banana tree growing through the window. Repulse's thoughts were interrupted when Prince came in, closing the door behind her and taking off her cap.

"Flagship, did you receive the latest updates on enemy movement?"

Repulse asked, but Prince did not reply her, walking over to the empty bed and throwing herself onto it. Repulse thought of it as rude, not getting a reply, but then again, she did hear that Prince was a rather moody person. Repulse had not heard in great detail what happened to Hood and the battle that caused Hood's demise. However she had heard the verdict on Prince's actions. The Admiralty had reasons for not finding Prince at fault for the battle, and they were not the type to pull favourites. If the Admiralty found no fault in Prince's actions, then Prince did nothing wrong. Repulse knew Hood to be strong, smart and not one to back down from a fight. Hood's demise must be a stroke of bad luck, an immense stroke of bad luck.

"... Repulse."

The battlecruiser looked up at the mention of her name. Prince was still face down on the bed, but it was undoubtedly her voice.

"... I... deserve to sink... So... hate me."

Prince muttered, making Repulse realise that the battleship was cursing herself. The sinking of Hood had greatly affected the entire fleet, but Repulse never saw how much it affected the one ship who was with Hood in her final moments. Prince was Hood's escort and by failing to protect Hood, Prince had resigned herself to shouldering the hate and pain from everyone.

"... Why do you say so? Hood was not the type to want you to think of such things."

Repulse said, but Prince suddenly pushed herself off the bed, facing Repulse with a face filled with fury.

"Hood is dead! Dead because of me! She cannot say what she would want to because I failed her! The living cannot speak for the dead."

Repulse sat there, slightly surprised by Prince's outburst. But Repulse did not know what else to say to the battleship, for the battleship to hate and curse herself to this extent, was there anything that anyone could do? Prince, having vented her anger, fell back onto the bed.

"... We shall leave port tomorrow at 0900..."

Prince muttered, turning her body to face away from Repulse. Repulse was a little apprehensive on how she should approach this behaviour. Would they really be able to work well together? Repulse was starting to have her doubts, but she decided to turn in for the rest of the day. There was no point in trying to solve the problem on her own.

* * *

The morning came and the battlegroup named Force Z departed from the base. With Prince of Wales as the flagship, the group of six ships made their way northward, following the coastline as they began their patrol of the area. Repulse, following behind Prince, looked at the back of the flagship with some worry. The group left slightly later than was scheduled due to Repulse needing to spend some time to convince the destroyers that their flagship wasn't a scary person. Repulse needed some reassurance herself of the same thing. It did not seem clear at that time to Repulse, the severity of Prince's depression, but Repulse did know that if things went on this way, their so-called 'easy' deterrent of the enemy in the far East would be broken up easily. They were already down one carrier and any further reinforcements would fail to reach here in time to prove any significant difference, meaning any air support would have to come from the colonial base's antic collection of rust buckets, and Repulse wasn't quite sure just how many were still able to fly.

There was one more issue to deal with, on top of all of this pile of problems, and that was the heat. Repulse noted that while the heat, combined with sandy beaches and the occasional tropical fruit drink would be a nice way to entice people to believe in this tropical paradise as a holiday spot, it was hell to work in. The temperature was soaring through the roof of their thermometers and any attempt to use the fans would only prove to be blowing more hot air into their faces. Repulse had already heard the complaints from the destroyers at least seven times by now, and she just reassured them of nice cooling tropical fruit punches when they returned, though Repulse herself sorely wished for one drink herself right at that moment. Or maybe some alcohol? She could use some alcohol to rub her wounds, and then wash the rest down to take her mind off the heat and the unfriendly disposition of her flagship. Speaking of wounds, she remembered going to bed without any problems, only to wake up with scratches and bruises all over her. This was not the first time it has happened, but it sure is problematic. It was at that point that Repulse noticed one of the destroyers had stopped and was looking up.

"What's wrong?"

Repulse asked the smaller ship, to which the destroyer merely pointed at the far distance. Repulse, following the line of sight, seem to notice some sort of small bunch of dots in the distance.

"... I wonder what those are."

* * *

Prince of Wales felt like hell. If hell was an actual place on this plane of existence, it might as well be in her head. Her mood was sour, to say the least, and if it was any indication as to how it would affect her performance, well, looking from her outbursts the day before and her utter lack of team discussions, one might say that her mood had utterly destroyed any possible form of bonding she might have with her team. But to Prince, the idea of team bonding was a concept instilled into her by Hood, and thus it might stand to point out that the idea of team bonding is a lingering reminder of Hood. Prince would be rather hesitant to use it as it were, if only it would lead to her heart shattering into smaller pieces than it already is.

Still, Prince was the flagship, and she needed to set a proper example. Coupled with the fact that she is part of the King George V class battleships, meaning she had a reputation to uphold and not shame the name of her sister. Also, as an added bonus to her name, she is named after a member of the royal family. Certainly the actual person whom she gained her name from had not made an entirely good impression on others, but she was still bearing the rank and name of royalty. If she were to shame both meanings to her name, then she would certainly be the worst kind of ship in every shape and form. As such, Prince had been trying to find a good opportunity to apologise to Repulse for both her actions and behaviour over the past few days they spent together, starting from when they grouped up along the way here.

Prince did realise how childish and selfish it was of her to behave in such a manner, and had been meaning to apologise ever since the day before. However Prince was not particularly well versed in the act of apologising. She rarely did it, and her character and behaviour just makes things harder for her to do so, increasingly so as time goes by. As such Prince had mulled and debated by herself for hours on end on how to act. This being the main reason for her sour mood and her overall dark and stressed face, which would be interpreted by all others as being moody and angry. Prince, not knowing that her constant inner arguments on how to apologise, as well as her pent up stress from said internal debacle, was causing the exact opposite effect of what she aimed to achieve, continued to mull on how best to remedy the situation.

Obviously she wasn't going to find the answer on her own, but turning to Repulse, whom she wanted to apologise first too, or the destroyers, who were either all afraid of the sight of her or dare not speak up at all, was indeed a visible waste of effort on her part. During such a time of mental duress, which one might note that Prince's level of endurance for mental stress is rather low to begin with, the battleship would often turn to others for advice and help, such as her older sister, King George V, who in all honesty wasn't any better than Prince most of the time, or Anson, who would probably write thesis papers on how to associate with people, though such detailed, objective viewed, and scientific approach to people relations would most definitely be detrimental to anyone, regardless of their predisposition.

Who could she turn to? The base commander of the colonial base? Well, he looked less like a commander and more of a weird, out-of-place man. No offence to his leadership skills, but he looked very much like a man who would be found in the theatre, not on the frontlines. But could he offer her some advice? Prince highly doubted that thought. Perhaps it was best if Prince herself dealt with the issue at hand by herself? She may be clumsy when it comes to proper social interactions, but it was her problem to begin with. She had gotten herself into this mess, and it was up to her to get herself out. But the question remained. How?

"Flagship!"

Repulse's voice made Prince turn. The battlecruiser pointed into the distance, her face in a distressed state.

"Enemy bombers, in-coming!"

Repulse shouted, and immediately, Prince's thoughts cleared of all doubts and questions. Her mind now focused solely on the targets in the distance. Prince looked ahead, and saw them. A mass of enemy planes were heading towards them at high speed.

"Torpedo bombers... Force Z, battle formation! Lock all AA batteries on enemy planes!"

Prince shouted, the destroyers quickly moved in to protect the battlecruiser and battleship, but-

"Torpedo in the water!"

Repulse announced. Prince turned and saw the disturbances in the water, moving fast towards them. Fired by a submarine, who quickly dove back down, the torpedoes in the water were a clear threat from this distance.

"Evasive manoeuvres!"

Prince and Repulse quickly turned, avoiding the torpedoes, though now they realise that this was a mistake.

"The bombers have a clear line at us!"

Prince turned and saw that the enemy planes were now at a perfect attack angle. The submarine had driven the destroyers out of AA formation, leaving the battlecruiser and battleship open to air attacks. The planes dove down and launched their charges. The armed torpedoes swam noisy in the water.

"Repulse! Evade!"

Prince shouted, but the battlecruiser only realised the second wave of attack too late.

"Flagship..."

Prince saw Repulse's face of horror, a face pleading for help and yet of the same realisation that she would not be able to receive any help.

BOOM

Torpedoes struck Repulse hard, exploding upon impact. Repulse fell. A familiar scene of blood and smoke. A familiar smell of death.

"... No..."

Prince felt her mind go blank.

"No..."

Her heart felt like it had stopped, squeezed by an invisible hand.

"It... can't be..."

The noises around her were not registered.

"Not again... please... no..."

A repeat of the past.

"Why... Why must I face this... nightmare... why again?"

The nightmare she once faced was now happening before her again. Flames, death, destruction. The destroyers were frantically trying to get back into formation and try to rescue Repulse. But it would not work. Prince could barely hear one of the destroyers pleading for Prince to leave. Leave? And where would she go? To live in shame once more? To continue on with this nightmare of hers? It was all pointless. The enemy was closing in on them. They were surrounded. There was no place to go. No place to hide. She looked up. The sight of the bombers that filled the skies above. The shadows of death. Watching as those wings of death dropped their charges. Time seemed to slow. Prince felt her life starting to slip away. She closed her eyes.

"... Hood... I'm sorry."

* * *

Darkness. It was all darkness that surrounded her. She could not see anything. Could not hear anything. Could not feel anything. Like a dream. A dark, silent, and lonesome dream. And yet, within this darkness she could sense something. Something that was enticing her. Drawing closer. Whispering her to embrace it. A seductive, soothing voice that spoke not with words, but with its intentions resounding straight to her. To consume her, to devour her. She was tired, and such soothing melody was certainly an enticing thing to embrace. But what about the others? Of those she had left behind?

.

.

.

"The base in the far East has fallen?"

King George V dared to repeat the message. Horror and shock were the only expressions left on her face.

"A-and Prince? Did Prince survive? She did, didn't she? She is a smart girl, and she would have pulled out with the retreat. R-right?"

King asked, but the messenger said no more.

"There is no way Prince would have survived. The message is clear. The far East has fallen... So has Prince."

Duke, standing behind King and leaning against the wall as usual, said, her uncaring tone hinting a slight sense of anger. King turned and grabbed Duke by the collar, her expression turning to rage.

"Duke! You will not say such things about our sister!"

King snapped at Duke. Duke seemed surprised by King's outburst, for no one had ever seen King this angry before. But Duke merely gripped King's hands, forcing the older battleship to release her hold.

"... Facts shall remain facts. The past cannot be changed, no matter how much you wish to see it gone."

Duke muttered, turning to leave. King, knowing full well what Duke said was true, could only fall to her knees and cry.

.

.

.

"Duke, the enemy may attempt to break out."

The cruiser warned her. Duke did not need to reply, for she looked at the enemy who was illuminated by one of the allied cruiser's flares with barely any emotion written on her face, save for one brief moment of intense rage that was missed by all.

"... Force 2, we shall move in and engage. Destroyers, prepare for torpedo fire."

Duke said, sailing straight towards the enemy battleship.

"Flagship, you're sailing too close!"

"That's the idea."

Duke closed the distance quickly, firing her guns first to the enemy who was preoccupied with the allied cruiser who launched the flare. By the time the enemy noticed Duke, Duke's guns had knocked out one of the turrets. All of this happened while Duke sailed at full speed to face the enemy head-on. And once she was close enough, she opened fire with all of her guns. Pummeling the enemy, Duke had no remorse has she fired continously from near point-blank range. The enemy, struggling under fire, managed to fire off two rounds at Duke. Being at point blank range, Duke could not avoid the hits, one hitting her left leg, and another hitting her straight on her head. Duke was knocked back slightly, but she stood her ground. Blood dripping from the wounds, Duke glared sadistically at the enemy.

"Is that all you've got?"

Duke reloaded her guns and fired again.

"This is not even close to the pain inflected upon my sister by you and your damnable allies... No, not even close... you will all suffer a fate worse than death."

The other ships, while firing at the enemy, were unsure if their flagship was mad with the high of battle, or had suffered a serious blow to the head that warped her pesonality.

.

.

.

"Duke! What happened?! You're bleeding all over!"

King rushed over to Duke when the latter returned, but Duke brushed King's concerns aside.

"This is nothing."

Duke muttered, walking onwards, ignoring King's concerned protests. King wanted to stop Duke but hesitated and watched in silence as Duke headed towards the docks.

"... Duke... Why must you keep pushing yourself to this point? Does Prince's death still haunt you so?"

.

.

.

"The enemy in the West has finally surrendered."

The Admiral declared, and the ships were all elated by the news.

"Now, we shall proceed to the far East. To take back what we have lost and to show the enemy there that we shall not be deterred. We shall avenge our fallen. King George V, Howe, the two of you shall lead our fleets in the region."

"... Finally. A chance to strike back at them... for Prince-nee-sama."

Howe muttered, her fist tightening.

.

.

.

"The fleet is moving to the far East? I must join King onee-sama."

Anson wanted to move, but could not.

"Anson, I know you're being anxious to join your sisters, but your refits are not yet complete. Do you want to end up being bombed by planes?"

Anson bit her lip at that statement, settling down, albeit begrudgingly.

"... There was no need to bring that up... I will stay until the refits are complete."

.

.

.

The war will rage on. But to her, it did not matter. What those images were, what those scenes meant to her, were nothing. She felt nothing of it, thought nothing of it. Everything was a blank slate. Only the cold darkness of the deep. Tired of it all. And so she rested. Closing her eyes. Allowing the darkness to consume her. The darkness that had always been asleep within her. The darkness of the deep. The deep dark abyss. And... Only one thing reached out to her. For when her own eyes close... that thing shall open hers.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So this is the final chapter of what was suppose to be a one shot... obviously it can't fit into a one shot, not even with my previous infractions of making one shots over 5000 words long.

This chapter introduces the Japanese naval base that I had planned to write out as a mini-series of 'daily lives of the Admiral' sort of rubbish. Just random stuff.

* * *

 _Kancolle_

 _Unrelenting Anguish_

 _Chapter 5_

 _Many years later_

The man stood there firmly as he watched the four girls step onto the docks. Wearing dark uniforms and cloaks, they exuded a sense of power and pride from their mere presence.

"... So this is the Royal Navy. The Queens of the ocean."

He muttered with a smirk. The lead girl, having long blonde hair with the left side of her hair having a braid down past her ear, walked over to him and saluted.

"King George V class lead battleship, King George V. Reporting to the Yokosuka Japanese Naval admiral."

He studied her young, soft face, and noted her fierce and determined eyes. There was much hidden under that pretty face, and most of that was a strength that he dared to compare to some within his base. He saluted back.

"I am Admiral Kuromura Hikage. I have been notified of your arrival for participation of our newest operation. Your presence will most definitely be a welcomed addition to push back the abyssals."

King George V Smiled at his words.

"... Once, in a time long forgotten, we were enemies... Your people did a grave injustice to me and my sisters. One, that I had once believed it impossible to overcome my anger of. Yet... now we stand together. Time has made us enemies for a time, and now allies during another. Perhaps... Time shall show us a new path in due time."

He was slightly wary of King George V's choice of words, but said nothing. King George V smiled at his lack of reply, not due to his inability to say anything, but rather to his decision to stay silent. There are times when one would require to say their piece, and others when they are required to keep silent.

"I have heard much from Warpsite of your capabilities, and if anything, the word of Warspite is plenty of reason to place my trust in you. My sisters and I will be honoured to have your fleets fight by our side."

He smirked, knowing that she was not lying, and that she may yet hold a grudge against him and his country, but that did not discount her admiration for his fleet. He looked over and noted that the other three girls were standing silently behind King George V.

"Is it only the four of you? I mean no disrespect, but the abyssals in this region are fierce and relentless."

King George V smiled at his warning.

"The four of us are sufficient. We have fought the abyssals in the Atlantic for years. And besides... for this operation, the four of us will be all that is necessary..."

He noted her tone becoming softer towards the end. He knew for what reason they came here for.

"... We have already spotted your target."

He said, turning to his secretary, who handed him a folder with documents within it. He handed it to King George V. King George V opened the folder and immediately her eyes widened as she saw the picture kept within the folder.

"Your target, the reason for why you have travelled so far to reach here, is leading the enemy's invasion. We have engaged the enemy forces to hold back their advance, but from here on out, it shall be necessary to achieve a swift and decisive victory. Can you do it?"

He asked the battleship, and King George V looked up to him with her eyes burning with determination.

"... I shall do more than that. I place the honour of my name on it... We shall reclaim my sister."

* * *

"The Operation here is massive, and will require not only the cooperation of the other bases, but also the added reinforcements from our allies from the Royal Navy. We must first blockade the enemy's advancement further North. Light cruisers and destroyer patrols can handle that aspect. Next. We require to establish air bases close enough to launch land based air defences. To do this, fleets 5, 7 and 9 will spear-head the push towards the Southern islands. They will engage the enemy and destroy their land installations as well as bring supplies to construct and secure the landing strips.

From there, we shall launch our main assault. Submarine fleet shall push the enemy Westward towards the shore while our land based bombers will whither down their assault capabilities. However reconnaissance has found that the enemy not only possesses incredible fire power from two new abyssal princess battleship classes, but also from strong air defence capabilities. Thus, fleets 4, 8 and 10 will be our main carrier fleets, and engage the enemy fighters. This will give time for fleets 1, 2 and 3 to attack the enemy head-on from three separate directions; fleet 1 will attack from the North; fleet 2 from the East; and fleet 3 from the South. Our Royal Navy allies shall accompany fleet 2 and attack from the East. That is all. You all have your tasks. Good luck."

* * *

King George V looked on as the fleets of her allies' navy set forth to complete their tasks. While she had some reservations about their abilities, judging from how carefree they acted back at base, on the water, they were unstoppable. The ship girls worked flawlessly with one another, cutting down the enemy before them without rest. Each ship that was injured would be brought back to dock while a replacement ship was immediately slotted in. Like a well-oiled machine, the fleets went about efficiently clearing the area of enemies. King George V had heard that the abyssal in this region were far more tenacious, as well as appearing almost constantly without end. It should come as to no surprise then, that the fleets in this region would be well versed in combating them.

"Does it surprise you?"

Warspite asked, sailing up next to the younger battleship.

"To see such efficiency in a former enemy we once believed to be inferior to us?"

King asked back in a slightly sarcastic tone. Warspite found it odd for King's attitude to change, but then again, King was never the same after Prince of Wales' sinking.

"... No. I do not."

King answered her own question.

"When Hood sunk, we realised that we had fallen weak. Tied down by our own delusion that the treaties we made to restrict the power and size of guns would be respected by all. To hold the faintest of delusions that all would abide by such empty promises and false smiles. The irony of this being the arms race that led to such an accumulation of power began with our old dreadnaughts. While we wanted to delude ourselves to thinking we can still rule the seas within our own restrictions while our enemies disregard them, the truth came hard to us. Hood's demise had shown us that we were weak, complacent and vulnerable. Prince and Repulse were sent here to deter the enemy, but we knew that the enemy would be able to surprise us. Perhaps Prince and Repulse were sent here as a way to stall the enemy advance, give our forces enough time to build up stronger defences. But what the truth of the event is does not matter now. These girls are strong, as you have said before, and their strength lies not only in their abilities and equipment... but in their character."

Warspite smiled and nodded in agreement with her assessment.

"Does it make you jealous?"

Warspite asked, but King merely smiled, sweeping aside her cape as she drew her sword. Raising it high and letting the sun shine against its edge.

"Jealous? Have you taken leave of all your senses? We are the Queens of the seas. We are the Royal Navy. We have conquered the seas many times over, and thus it is not within our nature to be 'jealous'. No, we shall applaud their strength and will match it with our own. Duke, Anson, Howe, follow my lead. We shall show these girls how Queens fight."

* * *

From darkness, she could hear it. Muffled and faint, those sounds caught her attention. But she felt the darkness still holding onto her, still enticing her body to stay within it. She felt no compulsion to leave. It was like a long sleep in which she did not wish to be disturbed. And yet. Those sounds persisted. Those sounds did manage to make her rouse from her slumber. What noise is that? That faint, familiar noise. Was it a call from someone? Who would call for her?

Sleep.

But the noises...

Sleep.

I hear them calling.

It is nothing.

Do they call my name?

There is nothing but the void.

Then what is that noise?

Pay no heed to it.

I... can't.

Embrace the darkness.

Why?

Let is soothe your soul.

Why should I?

Within the darkness, there is no pain.

Pain?

There is no sorrow.

Sorrow? What-

There is nothing.

... Nothing?

Nothing.

... No, that is wrong.

What?

There is something.

There is nothing here.

There is...

No.

While there may not be pain or sorrow-

No.

There still lies within-

NO.

Regret.

NO.

And from regret comes pain.

FORGET IT ALL.

And from pain, comes sorrow.

EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

But that sorrow and pain shows me what I am.

DO NOT DENY ME.

I do not deny you-

"For you... are me."

She stepped forward within the darkness, and mirroring her, a pale skinned figure stepped forward to face her as well. They looked similar, but the pale skinned girl, with her ragged and torn cloak, had red fiery eyes and a dark seething anger flowing freely from her. Her long braided tail was lined with sharp torns and the end was jagged blade.

"And I... am you."

The pale skinned girl said back in reply. Her words sounding tense and slightly disjointed.

"You... would deny me."

The pale skinned girl glared angrily at her.

"I do not deny you."

She repeated her stance.

"Then why do you choose to leave?"

"Because I do not belong here."

"You... are me. You belong where I am."

The pale skinned girl pointed out, but she shook her head in denial.

"You are the darkness, born from the shadows of my frail heart. You are regret incarnate. It is false to say nothing exists here. Within the darkness, you exist. And it is because you exist, that I too must exist. But not within this darkness. Not within this abyss of regret. For I am not regret. I am the courage and hope of those who once served on me. As much as their regret and anguish cry out to be avenged, so too do their valour and bravery to face such adversity resonate in the annuls of history."

The pale skinned girl looked at her, still somewhat angry.

"... So you... will abandon me as well... like the rest of them."

She shook her head and raised her hand to the pale skinned girl, patting her on the head. This act caused the pale skinned girl to be surprised.

"You are never alone. We were never alone. We only chose to close our eyes to what we did not wished to see. And in doing so, failed to see those who stood by our side the entire time."

The pale skinned girl's surpise did not end as she could faintly see a silhouette of a certain young woman with messy hair standing behind her, hand out-stretched and patting her on the head in the same manner.

"We embody the wishes of not only our own, but of those who fell before us, paving our paths for us. That wish lies not only in me, but within you as well."

The pale girl looked down at her chest, gripping the ragged cloak that covered her like a skin.

"... I... do not hold that wish, as strongly as you do. But..."

The pale girl looked up, and from the darkness, a crack appeared. Light seeping through it as noises started to flood into the darkness.

 _'Prince!'_

 _'Come back to us!'_

 _'Do not forget who you are!'_

The more noises came through, the larger the crack grew, and in turn allowed more light to enter and illuminate the darkness.

"... There are those who still call out for you. And to call out for the fulfillment of that wish."

The pale girl said as she looked back down to her.

"The veil of darkness is lifting. And soon, this night will end. You must return to the light in order to fulfil that wish."

"And you?"

The pale skinned girl shook her head.

"As you have said, I exist within the darkness. I am your shadow, forever enshrouded by the abyss. I must remain here and hold onto the regrets of those lost. The darkness will fester within me once more, but you have no need to worry. For I still hold onto that same hope you speak of, however faint, within me. As long as that hope still burns, I will not falter. That is our promise to that hope. Now go."

The pale skinned girl pushed her, forcing her back where the crack had grown and reached towards. As she fell towards the crack, she saw the pale skinned girl smile.

"Do not forget who we are, and what sacrifice has brought us this far. Remember, for the both of us. Remember, Prince of Wales."

* * *

She opened her eyes, though almost shutting it immediately to block out the glare of the bright Sun in the sky. She was lying on her back, floating in the water. Where was she? She looked at her hand, the one she used to shield her eyes from the sun. Her glove was fine and undamaged, unlike the last memory she-... hand? She looked at it closely. She has a hand. She looked down as saw herself. A body. She has a body. But how? She was a ship, and now she has flesh? It may seem as though it was an odd thing to ask. But for her, it was an odd sensation. The memories that she held before were all reimagined by her mind in order to compensate and understand the changes she had undergone. It was a mind-bending thought, and yet one she found herself able to accept so easily. As though it was all natural, something meant to happen.

"Prince!"

She turned her head and saw a group of young women seemingly 'skiing' across the water towards her. Wearing black capes and uniforms, she recognised them and their insignia. She wore the same thing as well. The lead woman, with her long blonde hair did not slow down as she neared, rather she leapt at her, throwing her arms around her and holding her close.

"Prince! I-it's really you!"

The woman sobbed. She felt a strange sensation. Was this joy? Sadness? Or... something else? Memories within her sorted out the emotions quickly. It was all of the emotions she could muster. It was a burst of unknown thoughts and feelings. Things that she could not put into words.

"D-do you know who I am?"

The woman asked, distancing her face to let her have a good look at her. Her soft and kind features, her golden hair with a braid behind her left ear. She knew who she was. Yes, she knew. That familiar face, yet one she knew she had never seen this face before. But she knew.

"... I... know... King George V class battleship, lead ship... King George V... onee-sama."

The young woman, upon hearing those words, shed more tears as she smiled, nodding vigorously.

"Yes... yes... yes, that's right... I am King George V... It has been so long... and we can finally meet once more."

She looked back at her hand, then to those who gathered around her. Faces that she should not be familiar with, and yet somehow she knew them.

"This... is not the same World as when I last saw it."

She admitted, to which King George V nodded.

"There... is much to tell you. But for now, it is as you say. This is the World beyond the war. A World that you helped to create."

"I... did?"

"Yes, no action, no sacrifice, no matter how small or insignificant, weighs heavily upon the outcome of the present and therefore the future... And so Prince of Wales, I bid you a warm, and long awaited welcome home."

She paused upon hearing those words, before a smile crept up onto her face. She closed her eyes, the words she heard soothing and calming her heart and mind. Those long, long years spent in darkness. The deepest pit of the abyss, filled with vile hatred and anger. The manifestation of regret and violence. She had suffered through them all, she was part of it all. But, as she had told 'herself', there was still hope that lingered. And now she will be able to uphold that promise, and carry on that hope. She opened them once more and smiled to her new, and old comrades.

"I, King George V Class battleship, second ship, Prince of Wales, am finally home."

* * *

Omake: King George V sipped on her cup of sake as she eyed the scene before her. After the battle, all of the ship girls were celebrating in this hall. Obviously, seeing as how she and her sisters had participated in the battle, they too were invited. King did want to return back to the UK as soon as possible, but seeing as how Kongo and Warspite were quite adamant about them staying, they were 'forced to stay'. Not that King minded anyway. Fighting alongside with her former enemies made her think back to what Hood had said before. 'They were weapons of war'.

"If only Hood could see this now..."

King George V smiled to herself. Howe was talking with some of the other battleships. King George V remembered their names as Haruna and Mutsu. They seemed to be talking leisurely. Anson was by one corner, looking through some documents together with the self-proclaimed 'accounting' group of this base. She was sure this 'group', consisting of the destroyer Inazuma, Asashio, Cruisers Ooi, Jintsuu, and Kumano, and Battleship Kirishima. They seemed to be calculating the budget for the mission as well as the celebration, and it would appear that the costs were not that 'favourable'.

Duke of York was apparently having some sort of drinking competition with several ships, namely the cruiser Ashigara, and carrier Junyou. Apparently, their match had garnered the attention of many others, who were cheering them on. King only wished that Duke would not go wild like she did last time she drank. As for Prince of Wales, it was odd for King to see, but Prince seemed to mingle well with these Japanese ship girls. In fact, Prince seemed to get along very well with the two cruisers Takao and Myoko, as well as the destroyer Kamikaze. The four of them were talking about something along the lines of 'tropical heat' and 'vomiting lions'. Vomiting lions? What was that? And just how did such a thing make for an interesting conversation piece that would make them laugh?

"Hey! King! You need to drink more desu!"

Kongo's voice made King turn as the lively battleship walked over with Warspite following behind.

"Thank you, Kongo, but I believe that I should watch out for my sisters, in case something went wrong."

King politely replied, making Warspite giggle.

"Ah, King, were you always such a downer at celebrations? Or has the excitement of battle not yet died down within you?"

The older battleship quizzed jokingly, to which King merely smiled.

"Perhaps both. Do not take this the wrong way, Kongo. I am not one to easily forgive and forget the actions of the past... but..."

King trailed off as she turned her gaze back to Prince, who was laughing with the Japanese ship girls.

"During such a time, when we are no longer needed as weapons of war, are we perhaps, blessed that we no longer have to fight each other in needless bloodshed? To see how we are able to laugh, side by side, is a scene that I would have never thought possible."

King admitted. Kongo looked at King blankly for a moment, before smiling.

"It isn't something wrong, to fight each other for one day, and drink together the next. Time is never still, for it will always change. What makes us enemies and what makes us friends are both time, and circumstance. To be caught up with the thinking of the past will only make you lose sight of the present. It is painful to remember the past, but what is more important than that is to learn from it. Forgiveness is not something that is to be given out lightly, and it is within the strength of character for both sides to be able to forgive. To forget, on the other hand, is one thing that must never be done. To forget the deed, no matter how dark, or how painful it may be, will only lead to it returning in the future. Do not forget the past, but rather learn from it, and leave it as a warning for those who walk in our footsteps, the dangers of what may come."

King looked at Kongo with a surprised expression, before giggling.

"Ha ha ha ha! I guess you are right, Kongo. That is certainly a lesson that we must all learn... Perhaps... I lack the character to find forgiveness... but as you say, though I may not be able to, it should not stop those of the future to do so. We must always strive for a future where the darkness of the past will always stay in the past and never be allowed to be repeated."

THE END


End file.
